Speed's Theatrum Imperii Magnae Britanniae

SPEED, John (1552-1629); trans. Philemon Holland.
Theatrum Imperii Magnae Britanniae [The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine]
Amsterdam: T. Snodham for John Sudbury and George Humble, 1616 [with slip "Anno Cum Privilegio 1621" pasted over date on title-page].

Comparables: Bonhams, 2013 - GBP 37,500; Bonhams, 2017 - GBP 12,500.

Engraved title within architectural border, full-page engraved arms of James I, 63 (of 67) double-page engraved maps of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, mostly by Jodocus Hondius and mounted on guards, full-page woodcut of Royal Arms (with repeats), woodcut initials, head-and tailpieces, double-column text within double rules; maps of Dorset, Lincoln, Suffolk and Warwick supplied in modern facsimile, lacks final 6 leaves of text, title and dedication with small loss of image to one corner, outer corners extended but extensions gradually diminishing in size in second half of the book, several margins strengthened (one resulting in creases). Bound in modern cloth retaining the early vellum upper cover. Cloth folding case.

"THIS LATIN EDITION OF SPEED'S ATLAS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IS EXTREMELY RARE" (Chubb).

First published in English in 1606, Speed's Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine followed the model of Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum in its title and its format, with map sheets backed by historical and geographical texts and gazetteers of place names. This was the one of the earliest attempts in England at producing an atlas on a grand scale, with the first detailed maps of Ireland, the first set of county maps consistently showing the boundaries of territorial divisions, and the first truly comprehensive set of English town plans -- all notable contributions to British topography. Perhaps as many as fifty of the seventy-three towns had not been previously mapped, and about fifty-one of the plans were probably Speed's own work. Speed's son John may have helped him in surveying towns. One of the work's most significant contributions is the balance that was struck between the modern and historical, with information placed on the edges of the maps about antiquarian remains, sites and vignettes of famous battles, together with the arms of princes and nobles. Scotland is covered in less detail, as Scottish cartographer Timothy Pont was still in the process of surveying the country. Individual maps for the Theatre were prepared from about 1602, and plates were subsequently engraved by Jodocus Hondius, who was noted for his skill in decoration. George Humble was granted a privilege to print the Theatre for twenty-one years from 1608, and the Theatre and History were published together 1611-1612. An immediate success, three new editions and issues of each appeared in Speed's lifetime, including this Latin edition, and a miniature version was first published about 1619-1620. The maps in the Theatre became the basis for subsequent folio atlases until the mid-18th century.