Copperplate

John Speed's maps of the English and Welsh counties are amongst the most decorative of early, British cartographic work, and are eagerly sought after today. They were first published in 1612 in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, designed as a companion volume to Speed's History of Great Britaine. The maps were based on the earlier surveys of Saxton, Norden and a few others, with engraving contracted to Jodocus Hondius whose signature appears on 33 of the maps. Speed's greatest innovation was the inclusion of inset plans of major towns and cities. Although some were copied from earlier work, for many towns this was first plan ever published. Speed's county atlas was re-issued a number of times for a period of around 160 years, with new publishers making various small changes and updates to the maps over time. This example bears the imprint of Sudbury and Humble, making it an early example from the editions of 1611 or 1614. Repair to centrefold split.

Camden's Britannia - a history and topography of Britain - was first published in 1586 and had a long and successful publication history. County maps by Kip and Hole were addded in 1607, and these also appeared in the editions of 1610 and 1637. Over 50 year's later it was decided to issue a new and updated edition. The original Latin text was re-translated by Edmund Gibson, and Robert Morden was commissioned to provide a new set of county and general maps in a more modern style. The revised work was issued in 1695. There were 4 further editions of the Gibson/Morden work, the last in 1772, before a further updated version by Richard Gough was launched in 1789, with new maps by John Cary. This example is from one of the Gibson editions.

This distance chart, showing the mileages between the main towns of Leicestershire and Rutland, was part of the county entry which first appeared in the October 1719 number of this serialised topographical partwork. It later also appeared in collected volumes of the complete series. John Morphew was the publisher of the work, but the engraver of the distance chart is unknown. The chart also includes the coat of arms of the county town, Leicester. Modern colour. Supplied mounted.

Map includes Rutland. Original outline colour. Some old folds with a pinhole where they meet within the upper right text block. Some repaired marginal tears not affecting the printed area. This new series of maps was commenced in 1749, with maps sold singly until the last counties were completed and the full series issued in 1760 as the Large English Atlas. Leicestershire-Rutland was first issued in 1756. J.Tinney's name on the imprint dates this copy to the first edition of the atlas in 1760 or earlier.

This was one of a set of county maps engraved by John Lodge and issued between 1787 and 1790 in The Political Magazine, and Parliamentary, Naval, Military and Literary Journal, published initially by John Murray, and later by R. Butters. The maps were subsequently collected together and re-issued as an atlas (without title page) around 1795. For this atlas edition the imprint with the publication date and engraver's and publisher's signatures was removed from the maps. This example is from the atlas edition. The maps are well engraved in the plainer style then coming into vogue. They are uncommon, and sought by collectors.

It is suprising that Cary's large county atlas was issued as late as 1809, as individual maps from it seem to have been sold singly from 1801. The atlas format was perhaps to compete with the similarly sized atlas of Charles Smith, which went under the same title and was published in 1804. It is perhaps Cary's finest production, the maps being notable for their fine design, detail and engraving. The atlas ran to several later editions by Cary, and the plates were later used for a variety of lithographic transfers by G.F. Cruchley. This example is from the second edition of 1811, and is in original full colour.

Thomas Dix initiated this atlas project some time around 1816, but after his death it was carried on to completion by the publisher William Darton. The Atlas was issued in 1822, though individual maps from the first edition bear various dates between 1816 and 1821. Apart from the atlas format the maps were also sold individually, usually dissected and linen-backed and folding into boards. This example is unusual. It is an early issue, dated 1819, and is linen-backed but not dissected. It would appear to have been sold singly, and although there are old, probably original folds, there is no sign of boards. It was purchased with six other Dix county maps similarly presented, one of which bears the manuscript signature of J. Walker and the date 13th Jan 1825. The set were of contiguous eastern counties, and may have been bought by Mr Walker to assist his travels in this area. As is usually the case, the map is in attractive and original full wash colour, and all editions are relatively scarce.

Thomas Moule's antiquarian leanings are evident in this series of highly decorative county maps - a stylistic throwback in an age when cartographic work had become much plainer and more utilitarian. The maps were engraved by W. Smollinger, J. Bingley and J. Dower, and first appeared in Moule's English Counties Delineated, a partwork with text issued from 1830-32. They were subsequently made available as a complete work in 1837 under the same title, and were later re-issued in Barclay's Universal English Dictionary between 1842 and 1852. This latter work ran to several editions and the maps were often updated between editions to show the latest growth of the railway network. This example in modern colour is from the 1842 edition of Barclay's Dictionary in which the maps are usually found close trimmed. A little marginal foxing.

These hunting maps, engraved by John Dower for M.A. Pittman, originally appeared in the Sporting Review magazine in the early 1840's. The full set of 24 maps were also issued as The Fox Hunter's Atlas in c1843 and c1850. A later issue of the atlas in c1857 had 28 maps. Individual folding examples have also been found in red silk covers. The maps are based on the territory of each hunt irrespective of county borders. This example is from the magazine and shows The Marquis of Hastings hunt, covering parts of Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Modern colour.

The title page of Murray's county atlas states that the maps were "Projected on the basis of the Trigonometrical Survey by order of the hon.ble The Board of Ordnance, under the superindendance of T.L. Murray". This might seem to imply the project had at least the official blessing, if not the active involvement of the Ordnance Survey, but is more likely to be a marketing puff. D. Hodson has suggested that the maps were copied from those of William Ebden published from 1825-8, both sets also being engraved by the same firm of Hoare & Reeves. Murray's Atlas was first published in 1830, with second and third editions in 1831 and 1832, the latter with the adddition of electoral data. by 1838 the plates had been acquired by W. Robson & Co. who published and sold the maps individually, and also used them in their commercial directories. This example is from the first edition of 1830. Original colour. One repaired, marginal tear, not affecting the image.

These maps by Lt. R. Owen Jones were produced by zincographic transfer to accompany the 1885 Boundary Commissioners Report showing the proposed new divisions of the counties for parliamentary and local government purposes. Once the Act had passed they were re-issued as part of the Parliamentary Accounts and Papers for the session of 23 October 1884-14 August 1885. This example is from this re-issue, so distinguished by a small piece of paper stuck over the word "proposed" (the changes having now passed into law.) Original colour.

Leigh's Pocket Atlas was first published in 1820, although there were several re-issues (with the word "Pocket" dropped from the title) up to 1843. This example is the first state, from one of the earlier issues, so designated by the imprint of S. Leigh (rather than the later M.A. Leigh) and his address as 18 Strand. Original wash colour.

This detailed and well engraved map was one of a set first published around 1812-14 by Robert Rowe, who was probably also their draftsman and engraver. The maps were initially sold singly in folding format until their collective issue in 1816 as The English Atlas. The plates were later acquired by Henry Teesdale, who amended titles and imprints and re-issued the work as the New British Atlas in 1829, with several re-issues up to 1842. The plates were later acquired and used by H.G. Collins and then by G. Philip and Son, who both used them as the base for lithographic transfers for a variety of works up to c1860. This example is from the 1830 second edition of Teesdale's atlas. Original wash colour. One short, repaired, marginal tear, not affecting the printed image.

Morden's set of smaller maps may originally have been drawn and engraved for Camden's Britannia, but rejected as too small. They were first published in 1701 in The New Description and State of England. This example is from Magna Britannia et Hibernia, originally issued as a 92 part topographical work between 1714 and 1731, but gradually also made available in 6 finished, bound volumes. The text and map of Leicestershire first appeared in 1719, but further editions were issued up to 1739 with the maps unchanged. Modern colour.

This map of Leicestershire and Warwickshire originates from the first ever atlas of the English and Welsh counties, published in 1579 by Christopher Saxton.The printing plates from Saxton's atlas were later acquired by Philip Lea around 1680, and modernised by the addition of town plans and other changes and refinements. Lea's first updated edition was published in c.1689 under the title All the Shires of England and Wales. A French edition of the atlas was also published shortly afterwards titled the Atlas Anglois, and a further English edition in 1694. The maps were also sold singly.After Lea's death in 1700 his widow continued his business until her own death in 1730 although no further editions are known under her name. Lea's stock of printing plates went to auction in 1730 and were acquired by George Wildey who removed the Lea imprint for the next edition of the atlas in 1732. There were further rare editions, in 1749 by Thomas Jefferys and finally in 1772 by Cluer Dicey (who changed the publisher's imprint on the maps to his own name). some repaired marginal tears .Uncommon.