Copperplate

(Maps) Staffordshire : 17 items
R. Blome    England Exactly Described 1715 (1681)
£75
25 x 18cm


Blome's smaller series of county maps have a puzzling history. They seem to have been initiated before his larger maps for Britannia, but were not published until 1681 when they appeared under the title Speed's Maps Epitomiz'd. Blome re-issued them twice before his death in 1705. The plates were subsequently acquired by Thomas Taylor who brought out a new edition in 1715 titled England Exactly Described. There were further editions in 1715 (by Taylor), and in c1731 (by Thomas Bakewell). These later editions had roads added to the maps. This example of the Staffordhire map is from the 1715 edition of the work. Original hand colour to the borders, with some modern enhancement. Supplied mounted.
Ref: STA 013
 
T. Kitchin    The Antiquities of England and Wales c1789 (1751)
£47
16.5 x 22cm


This map was first published in the March 1751 edition of the London Magazine, which between 1747 and 1754 issued a complete set of English county maps by Thomas Kitchin. The maps were later re-published by Alexander Hogg in Boswell's Antiquities of England & Wales, initially in partwork from c 1787-9, and then in several complete editions of the work up to 1798. This example of the Staffordshire map is from the first complete edition of Boswell's Antiquities dating from c1789.
Ref: STA 012
 
G.A. Walpoole    The New British Traveller 1784
£34
16 x 20.5cm


The New British Traveller was originally issued as a weekly partwork by the publisher Alexander Hogg, commencing in 1783. Once the series of 60 parts was completed in 1784 title pages were provided for the pages to be bound in a single volume. The work is a topographical review of Great Britain, containing numerous prints and a set of county and general maps. The maps are of varying sizes, being typically arranged 2,3 or 4 to a single page, with adjoining borders. When separated this means individual maps will be trimmed to the border on one or two sides and are often re-margined for mounting and framing. The map of Cheshire is re-margined on one side and sold ready-mounted. The text pages for the county may be available on request at no extra charge.
Ref: STA 008
 
J. Cary    New and Correct English Atlas 1809 (1787)
£29
21 x 26cm


The last decades of the 18th century saw less emphasis being placed on the traditions of decorative mapmaking in favour of a plainer style and design. Foremost amongst this new wave of "modern" cartographers and engravers was John Cary. The New and Correct English Atlas was Cary's first major production as a publisher in his own account. The maps were not only clearly and elegantly drawn and engraved, but also set new standards in accuracy in taking advantage of all the new large-scale county surveys of the second half of the 18th century. The atlas was first published in 1787, with a re-issue in 1793. By 1808 the plates were well worn, and the engraving of a new set was begun. The next dated edition of 1809, from which this example comes, utilised these new plates. Original outline colour.
Ref: STA 649
 
J. Cary    Camden's Britannia 1806 (1789)
£65
38.5 x 51.5cm


Camden's Britannia was first published in 1586. County maps by Kip and Hole were first added in 1607, being supplanted by those of Robert Morden for the 5 editions from 1695 to 1772. In 1789 a new translation of the work by Richard Gough was published by T. Payne and G. & J. Robinson with updated and modernised maps by John Cary. The same maps were also later used in Cary's New British Atlas of 1805. They can be found uncoloured, with outline colour and with full wash colour. This example is from the second Gough edition of Britannia, published in 1806, and the maps are in full wash colour - the most desirable state.
Ref: STA 650
 
C. Smith    New English Atlas 1808 (1804)
£90
44.0 x 49.0cm


Charles Smith was a successful London publisher and map-seller, whose work is stylistically very similar to that of John Cary. His large format New English Atlas first came to market in 1804, but many of the maps have also been found in folding format and may have been sold individually before the publication of the atlas. Smith's maps were well designed and accurate, making use of the large scale county surveys of the previous half-century. The atlas was a commercial success and was up-dated and re-published regularly until c1865 (the latter editions produced by lithographic transfer). This example is from the 1808 second edition, and is in bright and original full colour.
Ref: STA 652
 
B. Capper    Topographical Dictionary of the UK 1808
£13
10 x 18cm


Benjamin Pitts Capper was the author of this topographical directory, first published by R. Phillips in 1808. The maps were engraved, and possibly drawn by H. Cooper. Later editions of the work carry the imprint of G.and W.B. Whittaker who re-published the book from 1825-34. This example is from the first edition of 1808, with the hundreds shown in original, full wash colour.
Ref: STA 653
 
J. Cary    New English Atlas 1811 (1809)
£90
48 x 54cm


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.
Ref: STA 654
 
J. Pigot    British Atlas 1839-42 (1829)
£50
22 x 36cm


James Pigot & Co's county maps were issued in their British Atlas (from c1829), in several of their national and local business directories (from 1826 for the "home counties", at least), and singly in folding form as travelling maps. They were amongst the first maps to be printed from steel instead of copper plates, allowing more accurate fine detail and less wear to the plates over time. Atlas and directories went through several editions up to around 1857, later editions from 1846 being re-named Slater's New British Atlas, with imprints changed accordingly. Original outline colour.
Ref: STA 655
 
C. Greenwood    Atlas of the Counties of England 1830/1834
£130
69.5 x 58cm


The Greenwoods surveyed all the counties from 1817-33 for their beautifully engraved county atlas finally published in 1834. Maps were also sold singly as produced. The Staffordshire map is corrected to 1830, and this example's centrefold suggests it was sold in atlas format. Original full colour. Minor repairs to centrefold at top and bottom.
Ref: STA 656
 
A. Fullarton    The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1847 (1833)
£25
19 x 24cm


These maps were first published by Fullarton and Co. in 1833 in James Bell's New and Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales which was re-issued three times in the 1830's. They were subsequently re-published (again by Fullarton) in 1840 in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales, with several further re-issues up to 1849. The maps were engraved on steel and sometimes bear the name of the engraver and sometimes not. This example is from the Parliamentary Gazetteer of 1847 and lacks an engraver's signature.
Ref: STA 657
 
R. Creighton S. Lewis    View of the Representative History of England 1835
£12
18.5 x 24cm


This work was published in 1835 as a companion volume to Lewis's Topographic Dictionary. It contains county and borough maps, drawn by R. Creighton and engaved by J.& C. Walker, and was designed to show the electoral and boundary changes effected by the 1832 Reform Act. There were 2 issues of the work in 1835 and 1840, this example of the county map being from the 1835 first edition. Original outline colour. Some foxing.
Ref: STA 002
 
J. Barclay T. Moule    Barclay's Universal English Dictionary 1842-52 (1837)
£56
19.5 x 26cm


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 one of the editions of Barclay's Dictionary. Supplied mounted and ready for framing.
Ref: STA 005
 
J. Duncan    A Complete County Atlas of England and Wales 1840-45 (1825)
£45
34 x 43.5cm


Coloured. These maps were first published in 1825, and probably sold singly. In 1833 they were re-published by James Duncan in a thematic atlas to illustrate the representative changes brought about by the 1832 Reform Act. There were later re-issues in 1840 and 1845 with the addition of railways, and this map dates from one of these editions.
Ref: STA 1118
 
H. Teesdale R. Rowe    New British Atlas 1830 (1812-14)
£32
34 x 41cm


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. Several repaired tears, of which three enter the right-hand border by up to 1cm.
Ref: STA 006
 
P. van den Keere    England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland Described and Abridged…from a Farr Larger Volume Done by John Speed 1627-76 (c1605)
£75
12 x 8.5cm


Around 1599 Peter Van Den Keere began engraving a set of miniature British maps (based on Saxton). These were first published in Amsterdam in c1605. By 1619 the plates had passed to the London bookseller George Humble, who revised them (changing Latin county names to English), but also engraved new plates to replace those counties grouped together on one map in the originals. The original plate had Staffordshire as an individual county and so was retained, but with the county name revised to it's English version. Humble's first issue of the maps was in 1619. For his second edition of 1627 English text was added to the verso of the maps. All the maps are generally referred to as by Van den Keere, but Skelton doubts this attribution for the newly engraved versions. The atlas went through several later editions until 1676. Mounted ready for framing.
Ref: STA 001
 
A. Perrot    L'Angleterre, ou Description Historique et Topographique du Royaume de la Grande-Bretagne 1824-35
£95
6 x 11cm


The text for this French topographical work on Britain was written by George Depping, the maps being drawn by Aristide Perrot and engraved by A. Migneret. It was first published in 1824, with subsequent editions in 1828 and 1835. The maps often cover more than one county as in this example which also includes Worcestershire and Shropshire. The surrounding decorative border shows the typical produce and wares of the counties. Original outline colour
Ref: SHR 006