The maps for this very rare atlas were issued separately first then bound together as 'A Complete Atlas of the English Counties'. The work was begun by Thomas Dix but had to be completed by William Darton. Dix (c.1769-1813) worked as a surveyor and is recorded working in this county, Norfolk. Darton, father and son, were both called William. They were active publishers in London at the time and are to be credited for completing this wonderful rare work. Carroll 75.i; Chubb 387.

The maps for this very rare atlas were issued separately first then bound together as 'A Complete Atlas of the English Counties'. The work was begun by Thomas Dix but had to be completed by William Darton. Dix (c.1769-1813) worked as a surveyor and is recorded working in Norfolk. Darton, father and son, were both called William. They were active publishers in London at the time and are to be credited for completing this wonderful rare work. Chubb 387.

Thomas Kitchin (1718-84) was one of the most notable English cartographers of the eighteenth century. He was both an engraver and publisher of considerable reputation who was made Hydrographer to King George III. He worked with many of his contemporaries on various projects. In late October 1763 Robert (1703-64) and James Dodsley announced the publication of the two-volume 'England Illustrated' utilising 54 maps engraved by Kitchin. Each map was accompanied by descriptive text of the county and engravings by others. The maps give remarkable detail of major roads, each having a decorative cartouche. The atlas appeared on time being advertised as available on the 1 December 1763. A total of 1000 copies were printed. The same maps were re-issued in 1765 by James Dodsley as 'Kitchen’s English Atlas', a very rare work. Robert Dodsley died on 23 September 1764, he was a successful writer, poet and publisher before moving into cartographic items. His first contribution was John Cowley’s 'Geography of England', 1744. Provenance: manuscript notation inside upper board of both volumes 'A Present from Mr. Norris to Richard Franklyn, Junior. 1802', with accompanying bookplate for Franklyn; private English collection. Beresiner (1983) pp. 98-9; Chubb (1927) 224; Hodson (1984-97) 231; Shirley (2004) T.Kit 3a.

This map illustrates the route of the London to Birmingham Railway. The Railway was incorporated on 6 May 1833 with a proposed route of 112.5 miles. The first section was not opened however until 20 July 1837 when the section to Boxmoor was unveiled. A gradient profile is illustrated along the bottom. The inset upper right depicts the London terminus at Euston Grove. A fascinating document illustrating to the public the surrounding country to the line. Several miles either side are depicted. One can imagine the objections at the time. Robert Stephenson (1803-59) was the chief engineer on the London to Birmingham line. This map is believed to have been published in 1838 and accompanied 'Drake’s Road Book of the London and Birmingham Railway', 1839, it was the main illustration in the work. The map is the work of J. B. Wallace and engraved by James Archer. James (1983) A Chronology of the construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855'.

From the ‘Poly-Olbion’ as it is more commonly known, a book of poems by the Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton (1563-1631). He was born in 1563 at Hartshill, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. He began working on his longest poem at least 14 years before publication in 1612. It comprises a series of songs in praise of the English and Welsh countryside, with accompanying allegorical maps. The 1622 issue is the first complete edition, containing all thirty sections, each with a highly attractive engraved map. The notes to the songs were written by the polymath John Selden. The newly engraved maps for the second book also contain page numbers engraved near the upper margin and are therefore found in only one state. The new maps as stated in the title to the second part cover the area ‘betwixt the two famous Riuers of Thames, and Tweed’.Yates argues that the ‘Poly-Olbion’ was one of the most important attempts during the Stuart era to connect them with Tudor myth of ‘British’ history. This is best seen in the allegorical title page which displays both the Stuarts and the Tudors as descendants of Brut. It depicts a virginal Albion wrapped in a cloak resembling a map of England. The symbolism suggests that the descriptive ‘maps’ in the work have a serious historical context. Yates asserts that the graceful nymphs displayed on many of the maps recalls the masque of the Tethys Festival given at court in June 1610 on the occasion of the creation of Henry as Prince of Wales. Drayton died 23 December 1631 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. This map is one of those published in the expanded edition of 1622 only which extended the coverage further north and east. It covers Cumberland and Westmoreland which features the Lake District. Carroll (1996) 8; Chubb (1927) 35; Harley ‘Tudor Mapmaking’; Higham p. 18; Hodson (1974) Supp I.ii; Kingsley (1982) IV 1.ii,3; Shirley (2004) T.DRA-1d; Skelton (1970) 13; STC 7228-30; Yates (1975).

From the 'Poly-Olbion' by Michael Drayton (1563-1631). Drayton began writing his longest poem in 1598, it was first published in 1612. It comprises a series of songs in praise of the English and Welsh countryside and was accompanied by a series of desirable allegorical maps. This is an example of the second state included in the second edition of 1613 with the addition of a page number in the upper margin. It covers the area of Lyme Regis in the west to Portsmouth in the east. Recognisable names include Hamble, Itchin, the New Forest and The Poole. Beaton pp. 20-21; Skelton no. 8.

From the ‘Poly-Olbion’ as it is more commonly known, a book of poems by the Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton (1563-1631). He was born in 1563 at Hartshill, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. He began working on his longest poem at least 14 years before publication in 1612. It comprises a series of songs in praise of the English and Welsh countryside, with accompanying allegorical maps. The 1622 issue is the first complete edition, containing all thirty sections, each with a highly attractive engraved map. The notes to the songs were written by the polymath John Selden. The newly engraved maps for the second book also contain page numbers engraved near the upper margin and are therefore found in only one state. The new maps as stated in the title to the second part cover the area ‘betwixt the two famous Riuers of Thames, and Tweed’.Yates argues that the ‘Poly-Olbion’ was one of the most important attempts during the Stuart era to connect them with Tudor myth of ‘British’ history. This is best seen in the allegorical title page which displays both the Stuarts and the Tudors as descendants of Brut. It depicts a virginal Albion wrapped in a cloak resembling a map of England. The symbolism suggests that the descriptive ‘maps’ in the work have a serious historical context. Yates asserts that the graceful nymphs displayed on many of the maps recalls the masque of the Tethys Festival given at court in June 1610 on the occasion of the creation of Henry as Prince of Wales. Drayton died 23 December 1631 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. This is an example of the FIRST STATE included in the incomplete issue of 1612 without the addition of a page number at the upper edge. It covers effectively the counties to the north of the Thames including Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Carroll (1996) 8; Chubb (1927) 35; Harley ‘Tudor Mapmaking’; Hodson App. I no. 1.i; Kingsley (1982) IV 1.ii,3; Shirley (2004) T.DRA-1d; Skelton (1970) 8; STC 7228-30; Yates (1975).

From the 'Poly-Olbion' by Michael Drayton (1563-1631). Drayton began writing his longest poem in 1598, it was first published in 1612. It comprises a series of songs in praise of the English and Welsh countryside and was accompanied by a set of desirable allegorical maps. This is an example of the FIRST STATE included in the incomplete issue of 1612 without the addition of a page number at the upper edge. It covers south west Wales. Provenance: Gorringes auction 19 March 1992. Skelton no. 8.

This is a book of songs by the Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton (1563-1631) and his magnum opus. He was born in 1563 at Hartshill, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. He began working on his longest poem at least 14 years before publication in 1612. It comprises a series of thousands of twelve syllable rhyming couplets divided into 18 songs or books in praise of the English and Welsh countryside each with accompanying allegorical map. Despite the nature of the text the work is full of antiquarian and historical detail relating to events and people related to localities. It is relied upon by historians and many of the references are not recorded by William Camden in his opus the 'Britannia'. Skelton identifies the true first edition of 1612 as lacking a typographic title page as here and with the maps in their first state before the addition of numbers. The date is taken from the date of registration at Stationers’ Hall and of Seldon’s preface. They may in fact be incomplete examples of the 1613 issue as Drayton complained in the enlarged 1622 edition that it was prematurely made available by the booksellers before the preliminary matter was complete. Indeed, it may be that this example is an intermediate example as most notably the maps bear pagination which occurs in the 1613 edition.The typographic title introduced for the 1613 edition should rightly be found following the engraved one, here it clearly was never present. It should also have a new gathering of 4 leaves of ‘A Table to the Chiefest Passages, in the Illustrations ...’, this is also omitted. The engraved portrait of Prince Henry is in the second state with the words ‘Henricus Princeps’. Henry was the eldest son of James I who tragically died of typhoid fever in the same year, 1612. Sales of the first edition were poor as Drayton cites in the preface of the second part of the 1622 edition ‘because it went not so fast away in the Sale’.The work is illustrated with 18 maps of usually two English counties each. They contain no title, scale or plate number in this their first state. Emphasis is placed on the rivers with much ornate decoration. Yates argues that the 'Poly-Olbion' was one of the most important attempts during the Stuart era to connect them with the Tudor myth of ‘British’ history. This is best seen in the allegorical title page which displays both the Stuarts and the Tudors as descendants of Brut. It depicts a virginal Albion wrapped in a cloak resembling a map of England. The symbolism suggests that the descriptive ‘maps’ in the work have a serious historical context. Yates asserts that the graceful nymphs displayed on many of the maps recalls the masque of the Tethys Festival given at court in June 1610 on the occasion of the creation of Henry as Prince of Wales. Drayton died 23 December 1631 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Provenance; with manuscript notation on front free endpaper detailing earlier ownership: Thomas George Sheldon, Congleton, died 1903, to his eldest son Dr. Thomas Steele Sheldon, Macclesfield and Chester, to his nephew Oliver Sheldon, York, in April 1926; acquired at Sotheby's London 27 June 1991 lot 182 by Rodney Shirley. Chubb (1927) 34; Cope ‘The Puzzling Aspects of Drayton’s Poly-Olbion’, ‘The Map Collector’ 17 pp. 16-20; ESTC S121632; Shirley (2004) T.Dra 1c; Skelton (1970) 9; Taylor (1968) II p. 51; Yates (1975).

This map is from the ‘Poly-Olbion’ as it is more commonly known, a book of poems by the Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton (1563-1631). He was born in 1563 at Hartshill, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. He began working on his longest poem at least 14 years before publication in 1612. It comprises a series of songs in praise of the English and Welsh countryside, with accompanying allegorical maps. The 1622 issue is the first complete edition, containing all thirty sections, each with a highly attractive engraved map. The notes to the songs were written by the polymath John Selden. The newly engraved maps for the second book also contain page numbers engraved near the upper margin and are therefore found in only one state. The new maps as stated in the title to the second part cover the area ‘betwixt the two famous Riuers of Thames, and Tweed’.Yates argues that the ‘Poly-Olbion’ was one of the most important attempts during the Stuart era to connect them with Tudor myth of ‘British’ history. This is best seen in the allegorical title page which displays both the Stuarts and the Tudors as descendants of Brut. It depicts a virginal Albion wrapped in a cloak resembling a map of England. The symbolism suggests that the descriptive ‘maps’ in the work have a serious historical context. Yates asserts that the graceful nymphs displayed on many of the maps recalls the masque of the Tethys Festival given at court in June 1610 on the occasion of the creation of Henry as Prince of Wales. Drayton died 23 December 1631 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. This is an example of the second state included with the addition of a page number at the upper edge. It covers the country to the south of London incorporating Surrey and Sussex and is one of the more ornate of the maps in the work. London is prominently illustrated as are the key places upriver of Westminster, Richmond and Hampton Court. A vignette scene of the Weald is upper right with an indication of the forests nearby depicted. Provenance: Clive A. Burden Ltd. Carroll (1996) 8; Chubb (1927) 34; Harley ‘Tudor Mapmaking’; Kingsley (1982) IV 1.ii; Shirley (2004) T.DRA-1d; Skelton (1970) 9; Yates (1975).