On offer: an original (i.e. not a later reproduction) and scarce map of 'Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile Described with Many Memorable Antiquities Therein Found Observed.' Offered with hand colouring.
A very decorative 17th century map of the County. Hills are shown in the South and North and most of the habitation is in the middle of the county. Speed has drawn Hadrian’s Wall or “Pict’s Wall” as he calls it right along the North and there is a lengthy description of this. The antiquities drawn are Roman altars that had been excavated in the area. The town plan of Carlisle, shows it as a small walled city in its early history.
DATE PRINTED: c.1665 from a plate first published in 1610. This particular example has the imprint '...to be sould by Roger Rea the Elder and younger at the Golden Cross in Cornhill against the Exchange.' The Reas had purchased the rights to Speed's work form William Garrett in 1659, who had previously purchased them from the widow of William Humble in the same year. Skelton suggests that the father and son intended a new edition of the atlas for the Restoration of 1660. However, the atlas would appear not to have been published until 1665. Rea would later sell the plates to Bassett and Chiswell, who would publish a new edition in 1676.
SIZE: The printed area including titles is approximately 51.5 x 38.5 cm, 20.25 x 15 inches (large) plus good margins and a centre fold as issued.
ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Drawn by John Speed. John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer and historian. He is, alongside Christopher Saxton, one of the best known English mapmakers of the early modern period.
PROVENANCE: A very decorative 17th century map of Cumberland which was produced by John Speed and published in his Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (London: Roger Rea).
TYPE: Antique copper plate engraving printed on paper.
VERSO: There is nothing printed on the reverse side which is blank.
CONDITION: Average. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not significant unless otherwise stated. repairs to the back of the map around the 2 Roman Altars - crudely coloured on the front of these. One pinhole and a couple of other minor abrasions. Faint old manuscript writing top right corner. Overall a presentable but not perfect example of a sought after map in one of its rarest editions. Priced to reflect the imperfections.
AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic antique print, published at the date stated above. I do not offer reproductions. It is not a modern copy. The term 'original' when applied to a print means that it was printed at the first or original date of publication; it does not imply that the item is unique.
RETURNS POLICY: I offer a no questions returns policy. All I ask is that you pay return shipping and mail back to me in original condition.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: When published in 1611/12, his atlas was an immediate success, outdoing the one established by Christoper Saxton in 1579. There were a number reasons for this: Speed's atlas showed each county separately with its hundreds, was resplendent with heraldic shields but most significantly had one or two town plans. Displayed from a bird's eye view perspective, many of the towns were surveyed by Speed himself using a distinct 'scale of paces' and are the earliest known plans of these places. The aesthetic beauty of the maps were also down to the Dutch engraver, Jodocus Hondius, whose fine calligraphy and decorative strapwork are a feature throughout. Speed's legacy was to live on long after his passing, the Theatre itself was published in many editions until 1676. The maps were then re-published in the early 18th Century by John & Henry Overton and then finally in the 1780s by Dicey & co. giving them a life of 170 years.
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