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In 1540, cartographer Sebastian Munster issued his version of Claudius Ptolemy's Geographia. This work contained maps of the different parts of the world as understood by Ptolemy, the librarian at Alexandria, Egypt ca. 150 A.D.. At the same time that he recognized Ptolemy's work by reissuing his maps directly, Munster also added a number of "modern" maps, reflecting the new knowledge gleaned of the world in the intervening fourteen centuries. These "new" maps issued by Munster reflect the most up-to-date information available in Europe, for Munster was a assiduous collector of geographic data at the various bookfairs in northern Europe and through his correspondence with other learned men of the time. This map of England is particularly good of its subject, containing around 80 named towns, rivers, and other topographical features, many of these shown for the first time on this map. As Rodney Shirley states, it was "substantially in advance of any others printed hitherto." (Early Printed Maps of the British Isles, p. 28) The map is "oriented," that is east is at the top, and it covers all of England, Wales, and parts of Scotland and Ireland. The source material for Munster's map is unknown, though it is thought that he had access to some form of the famous Gough map. There are few map available to the collector of equal interest and historic import. $1,400
William Smith. "Brightstovve, vulgo; quondam venta, floretissimum Angliae Emporium." [Bristol] Cologne: Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg, [1588]. From Civitates Orbis Terrarum. Volume III. 13/ 1/4 x 17 1/8. Engraving. Original hand color. French text on verso.
A lovely bird's eye view of "Brightstowe" (Bristol) from Braun and Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum, one of the most important works from the early days of modern cartography and topographical illustration. Braun, the editor, and Hogenberg, the engraver, worked for over twenty years to produce their "towns of the world," the first systematic depiction of views of cities throughout the world. This work, issued in six volumes from 1572 to 1617, was a monumental piece of Renaissance learning and was designed to complement Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas. These two atlases, both firsts of their type, were in response to a new interest in the nature of the world by the Western European population. This nascent interest was spurred both by the existence of a growing middle class and the relatively new general availability of printed books.
This fine view is an excellent example of the content of one of the greatest of these volumes. It provides a bird's eye view of this important western English city drawn by William Smith in 1568. It shows the town situated on both sides of the Avon River, graphically protected by embracing city walls, a castle and water. Some development, with houses and churches, is shown outside the city walls, along with farm land and representative sheep. The latter images reflect the fact that Bristol was an important city for the British wool trade. Three figures in Elizabethan dress are depicted on the left in the foreground. $950
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Abraham Ortelius. "Britannicarum Insularum Vertus Descriptio." From Parergon. Antwerp: Aegidius Coppen Diesth, [1590]. Engraving. Two sheets joined: 28 3/4 x 19 1/4 Engraving (probably by Jan Wierix). Original hand color. Latin text on verso.
A dramatic map of the British Isles in ancient times by Abraham Ortelius. Ortelius, as a businessman with a passion for history and cartography was the first to issue a "modern" atlas with the publication of his Theatrum Orbis Terrerum in 1570. Based on the best contemporary maps, compiled into a uniform picture of the world, this marvelous work is one of the most important published volumes of all time. Oretelius continued to update the atlas over the years, adding new maps and in 1590, an addendum, the Parergon, containing map related to classical history, including this map printed on two sheets. The outline of the islands is based on the work of Gerard Mercator, and for England, Christopher Saxton and the historical information is taken from such authorities as Diodorus, Plinius, Caesar and Strabo. Ancient tribal names, Roman settlements, and Hadrian's Wall are all depicted. Decoartive features include a number of fabulous cartouches and a number of ships, including a raging sea battle at the top. This two part map, one of the most decorative issued by Ortelius, was issued only in the early editions of the Parergon, being replaced in 1595 by a one sheet map. $3,400
Joan Blaeu. "Oxonium Comitatus, Vulgo Oxfordshire." Amsterdam : J. Blaeu, [1645] 15 x 19 1/2. Engraving. Lovely, original hand color. Excellent condition.
One of the most decorative maps of Oxfordshire, a gem by Joan Blaeu. The Blaeu cartographic firm of Amsterdam was started by Willem Blaeu at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The firm soon grew to become the largest and most important cartographic publishing firms in the world, run by his sons Cornelis (until his death in 1642) and Joan. The maps issued by the Blaeu firm are known for their fine engraving, coloring and design, and have been called "the highest expression of Dutch cartographic art." This beautiful map of Oxfordshire is typical of the work of the Blaeu's, with clear topographical information as well as profuse decorative elements. The basic cartographic information is derived from Speed's map, but presented with typical Blaeu elegance and decorative flourishes. These include coats-of-arms of the Oxford colleges along the sides, each expertly colored, as well crests of nobility, the Royal coat-of-arms, and a title cartouche flanked by two Oxford scholars. $1,250
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Frederick de Wit. "Scotia Regnum." Amsterdam: F. de Wit, ca. 1680. 22 1/2 x 19 7/8. Engraving. Excellent, original hand color. Soft crease across top half. Otherwise, very good condition.
A handsome seventeenth century map of Scotland from Dutch cartographer, Frederick de Wit. De Wit followed in the footsteps of the earlier Dutch cartographic publishers Jansson and Blaeu, and like them, he issued maps known for their beautiful engraving and hand coloring. This map is a good example of his work, with strong, clear engraving and strong hand color. Much detail is given of towns, lakes, rivers and so forth. $925
Guillaume Delisle. "Les Isles Britannique." Amsterdam: Covens & Mortier, ca. 1730. 18 x 22 1/4. Engraving. Full margins and deckle edges on paper. Very slight age spotting. Overall, excellent condition. Ref.: Shirley, Printed Maps of the British Isles 1650-1750.
A detailed map of England, Scotland and Ireland by Guillaume Delisle. Modern cartography is usually thought of beginning with a period dominated by the Dutch school, with such notables as Ortelius, Mercator, Blaeu, and Hondius. This age was followed by a period of dominance by the French school of cartography. The geographic information of this map is based on the work of one of the greatest of the French cartographers, Delisle, and it thus represents one of the best depictions of the region at the time. The information and design are based on the 1707 version done in Paris. By the 1730s many Delisle maps were being printed outside of France, partially to avoid French taxes. The decorative cartouches on this map are exquisite. $425
Carel Allard. "Regni Angliæ et Walliæ Principatus Tabula." Amsterdam: Covens & Mortier, ca. 1721. 19 3/4 x 23 1/4. Engraving. Lovely, original hand color. Good impression. With some wrinkling due to having been rolled. Minor fraying at bottom margin. Overall, very good condition.
A handsome, boldly colored map of England and Wales by Carel Allard, one of a family of Dutch mapmakers from the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century. This map shows the countries earlier in the reign of the Hanover Kings, but the elaborate title cartouche celebrates the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89. Britannia sits in the lower right and on the left stands an imposing military figure representing King William. Besides Royal crests and numerous putti, the English lion and Welsh unicorn surmount the impressively engraved cartouche. The map itself is filled with excellent detail of towns, roads, rivers, and with each county colored in a contrasting pastel shade. A decorative and historically interesting artifact. $675
Thomas Badeslade. "Chart of the Sea Coast of England & Wales." From Chorographia Britanniæ Or A Set of Maps of all the Counties in England and Wales. London: W.H. Toms, 1742. First edition (dated in map 1741). Engraving by W.H. Toms. Ca. 5 1/2 x 5 3/4. Small hole along eastern coastline. Else, very good condition.
Thomas Badeslade (fl. 1719-1745) was a surveyor, engineer, and author, and in 1742, W.H. Toms published a small atlas of British county maps based upon his surveys. [ Go to list of these county maps ] Included in the atlas were also four interesting maps of England and Wales, each with a different theme, of which this is one. $75
Jean Janvier. "Les Isles Britanniques Comprenant les Royaumes d'Angleterre d'Ecosse et d'Irlande." From Atlas Moderne. Paris: Jean Lattré & J. Thomas, 1762. 12 1/8 x 17 1/2. Engraving. Original outline color. Excellent condition.
Jean Janvier was a French cartographer who worked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Among his output were some fine maps which appeared in Jean Lattré's Atlas Moderne. This atlas contained maps of all parts of the world engraved by Lattré, the "Graveur Ordinaire du Roi." Janvier's maps contained the best information available at the time. This map contains information on counties, towns and rivers. This information is neatly engraved and highlighted with lovely hand color. Two decorative cartouches graces the map, both done in the baroque style. An inset of the Shetland and Orkney Islands is included at top right. $450
Anthony Finley. "Scotland." From A New General Atlas. Philadelphia: A. Finley, 1824. 11 3/8 x 8 5/8. Engraving by Young & Delleker. Full original hand-color. Very good condition.
Early in the nineteenth century, Anthony Finley was a great popularizer of maps out of Philadelphia and one of the leading cartographic publishers in America. His copper engraved maps are noted for their crisp appearance and interesting detail. This map of Scotland demonstrates that the American mapmakers were approaching the quality of their European counterparts. The bright hand color makes this map as attractive as it is informative. $90
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Maps by Thomas Ewing. From Ewing's New General Atlas. Edinburgh: Olver & Boyd, ca. 1830. Engravings by J.& G. Menzies. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A group of rare maps from Thomas Ewing's New General Atlas. Ewing issued a number of editions of this fine quarto atlas in the first part of the nineteenth century, containing attractive maps of countries around the world. Published in Ediburgh, the maps were precisely engraved by J.& G. Menzies, who were noted engravers who worked for a number of publishers. The maps contain good detail and careful hatchuring to graphically represent topography. The hand coloring adds a nice flourish to these maps, which are good examples of British mapmaking at a time when it dominated the cartographic world.
An excellent map of the British Isles by David H. Burr, one of the most important American cartographers of the first part of the nineteenth century. Having studied under Simeon DeWitt, Burr produced the second state atlas issued in the United States, of New York in 1829. He was then appointed to be geographer for the U.S. Post Office and later geographer to the House of Representatives. As a careful geographer, Burr is painstaking in this map to put in only information for which he felt there was a scientific basis. Burr's maps are scarce and quite desirable. $125
Thomas Moule. "Dorsetshire.” From The English Counties Delineated. London: George Virtue, 1837. Engraving with original hand color. 8 x 10. Trimemd slightly at left. Else, very good condition.
A map of Dorsetshire from probably the most attractive of the nineteenth century series of British county maps. Included are vignettes of scenes, buildings, coats-of-arms, and monuments reflecting more than just the topography of the county depicted. It is maps like these which make collecting British county maps so satisfying. $85
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George F. Cruchley after John Cary. "Cruchley's (Late Cary's) Reduction of his Large Map of England and Wales, with part of Scotland; Showing all the Railways & Turnpike Roads With the Great Rivers and the Course of the different Navigable Canals: The Market and Borough Towns and principal places adjoining the Road . to which is added, The actual distance from one Market Town to another. With The exact admeasurement prefixed to each from the Metropolis." London: George F. Cruchley, ca. 1850. Separately issued map with original buckram cover (with original label). 30 x 24. Engraving. Original hand color. Some very light discoloration and separations at folds (expertly repaired), and two areas of light spotting. Overall, very attractive and good condition.
George Frederick Cruchley (1787-1880) was a London map publisher, seller, and globe maker. This map is one that he acquired from John Cary, issuing this updated version around the middle of the century. At this time, Great Britain was at the height of its Industrial Revolution. The rise of its industrial power created the huge demand for a transportation network to service these industries, leading first to the development of a wide web of canals and turnpikes. Then in the years leading up to the middle of the century, a huge railroad building boom transformed the transportation (as well as industrial and social) scene in Britain. The full title of this wonderful map shows that Cruchley tried to capture all this development on this map. This map is a reduced version of a larger map, issued on thin paper and folded into covers for use by travelers. The roads, canals, rivers, and railroads depicted would be of great use, as well as the information on the market towns and cities, as well as the distances between all these. Ferries from Britain to Europe and Ireland are also noted. Despite the plethora of detail, the information is very clearly presented, with crisp engraving and neat labels. The map is also very decorative, with each county highlighted in a contrasting pastel shade and the title cartouche attractively gracing the top right corner. As a cartographic statement of the state of England and Wales in the middle of the nineteenth century, this map is as good as it gets. $475
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"Tunison's Ireland." Jacksonville, Illinois: H.C. Tunison, 1885. Wax engraving. Original color. 12 1/2 x 9 3/4. Very good condition. Backed with map of France
A handsome map of Ireland from Tunison's Peerless Universal Atlas. With the development of wax engraving (cerography), more maps and atlases were able to be produced in cities beyond the major centers of New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Henry C. Tunison issued a series of fine atlases beginning in 1885 and lasting into the beginning of the twentieth century. This is a nice example of his output, showing Ireland with bright colors indicating the counties. $55
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