Britannia depicta or Ogilby improv'd; being a correct coppy of Mr. Ogilby's Actual survey of all ye direct & principal cross roads in England and Wales: . . . And to render this?work universally usefull & agreeable, . . . are added . . . 1. A full &...
By BOWEN, Emanuel (1693/4-1767) [OGILBY, John, 1600-1676]
8vo: [6],273,[1]pp, comprising 54 county maps and associated suites of strip road maps in three or four columns over 273 plates engraved front and back by Emanuel Bowen. Contemporary Cambridge-style paneled calf, sympathetically rebacked, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt, recent red morocco lettering piece gilt, all edges speckled red, plain period end papers. An all-together elaborate production, in Fine, clean, bright condition, each map fully and elaborately engraved by Emanuel Bowen and enhanced with little-known historical facts (supplied by the antiquarian John Owen), elaborate heraldic images, rococo cartouches and decorative borders. Scarce first or second issue, with "next ye King of Spain in S: Katherines" in the imprint statement (later issues read "near ye Stairs in St. Katherine's"). Issue points as follows: p. 8, Sussex 'rapes' [administrative boundaries] not numbered; p.128 misnumbered '121' (a previous owner has added lines to the numeral '1,' making it look like an '8'. (One leading expert identifies our copy as the second issue, but has not disclosed the nature of his reasoning. As an entirely engraved, chock-a-block with information, Britannia depicta or Ogilby improv'd was being constantly corrected and updated. Of the examples dated 1720, Hobson identifies eight variants laid out in six distinct 'editions.' To the first edition, of which Hodson describes two issues, our expert identifies a three, of which our copy is one.) Shirley (Printed maps of the British Isles, 1650-1750), pp. 103-04. Hodson 149. Tooley III, p. 345-47. Lister, p. 207. (ESTC does not record this imprint.). First edition, first or second issue, of this fully and finely engraved road atlas of England and Wales, a smaller-format, popular version (reduced to half the original scale) of Ogilby's famous seventeenth-century road atlases of England, originally published in two versions, both 1675, in folio editions. Ogilby's survey, undertaken to prepare the atlases, was perhaps the most accurate to date; he used the new distance of 1760 yards to a mile instead of the old standard of 2428 yards and calculated measurements methodically by foot. Because of public demand for these accurate strip road maps in a format conducive to travel, several smaller versions were published, with the present edition being one of the most successful. Bowen was official map engraver to both George II and Louis XV of France, producing some of the finest and most intricately engraved English county maps of his time. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Published by: Printed for, & sold by Tho: Bowles print & map seller next ye. Chapter House in St. Pauls Church-Yard & Em. Bowen next ye King of Spain in S: Katherines, London, 1720
Vendor: Fine Editions Ltd
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By BOWEN, Emanuel (1693/4-1767) [OGILBY, John, 1600-1676]
8vo: [6],273,[1]pp, comprising 54 county maps and associated suites of strip road maps in three or four columns over 273 plates engraved front and back by Emanuel Bowen. Contemporary Cambridge-style paneled calf, sympathetically rebacked, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt, recent red morocco lettering piece gilt, all edges speckled red, plain period end papers. An all-together elaborate production, in Fine, clean, bright condition, each map fully and elaborately engraved by Emanuel Bowen and enhanced with little-known historical facts (supplied by the antiquarian John Owen), elaborate heraldic images, rococo cartouches and decorative borders. Scarce first or second issue, with "next ye King of Spain in S: Katherines" in the imprint statement (later issues read "near ye Stairs in St. Katherine's"). Issue points as follows: p. 8, Sussex 'rapes' [administrative boundaries] not numbered; p.128 misnumbered '121' (a previous owner has added lines to the numeral '1,' making it look like an '8'. (One leading expert identifies our copy as the second issue, but has not disclosed the nature of his reasoning. As an entirely engraved, chock-a-block with information, Britannia depicta or Ogilby improv'd was being constantly corrected and updated. Of the examples dated 1720, Hobson identifies eight variants laid out in six distinct 'editions.' To the first edition, of which Hodson describes two issues, our expert identifies a three, of which our copy is one.) Shirley (Printed maps of the British Isles, 1650-1750), pp. 103-04. Hodson 149. Tooley III, p. 345-47. Lister, p. 207. (ESTC does not record this imprint.). First edition, first or second issue, of this fully and finely engraved road atlas of England and Wales, a smaller-format, popular version (reduced to half the original scale) of Ogilby's famous seventeenth-century road atlases of England, originally published in two versions, both 1675, in folio editions. Ogilby's survey, undertaken to prepare the atlases, was perhaps the most accurate to date; he used the new distance of 1760 yards to a mile instead of the old standard of 2428 yards and calculated measurements methodically by foot. Because of public demand for these accurate strip road maps in a format conducive to travel, several smaller versions were published, with the present edition being one of the most successful. Bowen was official map engraver to both George II and Louis XV of France, producing some of the finest and most intricately engraved English county maps of his time. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Published by: Printed for, & sold by Tho: Bowles print & map seller next ye. Chapter House in St. Pauls Church-Yard & Em. Bowen next ye King of Spain in S: Katherines, London, 1720
Vendor: Fine Editions Ltd
