William Kemp. “Plan and Survey of the Stamford Race Course; in Lincolnshire; including the Rises and Falls.” From The Annals of Sporting and Fancy Gazette.
London, 1822-1828. 7 3/4 x 9 ¾. Engraving. Original hand color. With vertical folds as originally issued. Very good condition.
Popular sports changed dramatically in the nineteenth century. New ones were invented (baseball and soccer among them) and others were codified and popularized. Periodicals devoted to sports and other outdoor recreation were important in introducing sports, standardizing rules, and helping establish and popularize new sports. Besides articles, these magazines included many fine illustrations and the ones from this publication are among the best. The Annals was called a magazine “entirely appropriated to Sporting Subjects and Fancy Pursuits,” or “in Field Amusements.” It ran from January 1822 to June 1828, and among its illustrations were the standard steel engravings, along with more unusual hand colored aquatints of very high quality.
Other British race course maps from Annals of Sporting: