This copperplate engraving of Persia or Iran is from the first edition of Magini's edition of Ptolemy's 'Geography'. This is distinguished by the lack of text below the map. Magini was from Padua and would later publish an atlas of Italy. The maps in this work are expertly engraved by Girolamo Porro and are particularly detailed and attractive. There were later editions in 1598 and 1622. Shirley 'Atlases in BL' T.Ptol-12a; Nordenskiold 223.

A copper plate engraved view of Lambeth Palace from across the River Thames. It was published in William Maitland's 'History of London' published in 1756. Adams 38 no. 118.

From the ‘Description de L'Univers’ published in Paris. Pastoureau (1984) pp. 309-11, Mallet IA

Engraved in a birds-eye format this map explores the Salomon Islands which were a contemporary source of mystery. Here they are depicted with a spurious connection to the southern continent and that of New Zealand. The region between New Zealand and the Salomons is here called Terre de Qvir. The map is decorated with sailing ships, and a banner holds the title.

This early detailed map of the Himalayan mountains appears to have been published in 'Nouvelles Annales des Voyages' by M M Eyries and Conrad Malte-Brun. It records the voyage of exploration to the region of Alexander Gerard (1792-1839), a Scottish army officer who was one of the first surveyor's and explorer's of the region. In 1817 he set out from Sabathu and explored the Sutlej valley and in the following year with his brother James he crossed it and followed the Spiti Valley to Shipki La.

According to Elly Dekker James Manning was producing globes between 1854 and 1863. This particular one is dated 1857 and includes the new state of Victoria in Australia but was issued before the creation of Queensland. Manning published globes up to 12 inches in diameter principally for educational purposes. Dekker, Elly. (1999). 'Globes at Greenwich'.

This uncommon map of Perigort in France was published in Paris by Pierre Mariette (c.1602-1658) in the 'Theatre Geographique de France'. The atlas was first published in 1650 but this map only appears in the second edition of 1653. The town of Bergerac may be seen in the centre of the map which is finished with an ornate title cartouche upper left. It is engraved by Jean Somer. Pastoureau Mariette B no. 68.

A fine example of this very rare map which accompanied the finest colour plate book on the North American Indian ever printed entitled 'Reise in das inner Nord-America ...' It is particularly rare is it accompanied the text volumes printed to accompany the fine aquatint plates more often found. It charts one of the more remarkable voyages of exploration undertaken within the present United States. Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (1782-1867) was a noted German explorer, ethnologist and naturalist. Joining the Prussian army in 1800 he fought through the Napoleonic Wars and left at the end in 1815. An early friend of Alexander Humboldt Maximilian led his own expedition to Brazil in 1815-17. In 1832 after hiring the Swiss artist Karl Bodmer he set out again this time to the waters of the Missouri River and the Plains. The region was little known at the time. They started out from St. Louis and travelled on the ‘Yellowstone’, an American Fur Company steamboat stopping at their various forts. Changing vessels along the way they continued Fort Union, Fort Clark and Fort Mackenzie. They observed the Assiniboin, Cree, Mandan, Minatare and Crow peoples. From here they returned south reaching St. Louis in May 1834.Whilst Prince Maximilian returned to Germany to write his account Karl Bodmer travelled to Paris to prepare his famous aquatint plates from his collection of watercolours. Together their finished work would be considered one of the most sympathetic and accurate recordings of the Plains Indians issued just prior to their virtual extinction with a decade. This was ironically brought about by the very method used to document them in the first place. In ‘The Plains Indians’, the historian Paul H. Carlson states the smallpox outbreak was traced to contact between deckhands of the steamboats of the American Fur Company and the natives.Wheat records that Prince Maximilian was given a map in 1833 by Major Benjamin O’Fallon who was the nephew of William Clark author of the map who along with Meriwether Lewis had crossed the region to reach the Pacific Ocean earlier in the century. O’Fallon had joined Clark in 1808 and was also present on Stephen Long’s expedition to the Rocky Mountains in 1819-20. By the time of Prince Maximilian expedition he was one of the most experienced travellers in the region. No doubt the version he passed to the Prince would have been updated considerably since the Lewis and Clark expedition. The fact that the printed map includes the route of Long is clear indication of that. The Prince is said to have ‘completed it and removed its deficiencies’. Since the publication of Wheat further research has identified that the cartographer was Lt. Col. William Thorn who used as a base map Henry Tanner's ‘Map of the United States of America’ published in 1837. The map includes large insets of the Missouri River lower left and one of the source of the Mississippi River ‘According to Schoolcraft’ lower right. The whole is finished with a dramatic title cartouche illustrating a buffalo hunting scene.Maximilian’s insisted that the text be published in a deluxe edition, which made publishers wary. The popularity of such works was waning. Maximilian persisted and in 1839 the first text and prints were ready for distribution to a disappointingly few subscribers. A French edition in 1840-42 and the English translation in 1843 were no more successful. Bodmer spent a total of eight years supervising a group of the best French and Swiss etchers to produce the aquatints. The original copperplate for the map was recently found amongst the original watercolours in the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska. Provenance: private German collection; private English collection. Abbey Travel 615; Field 1036; Graff 4649; Howes M443a; Howgego (2004) 'Encyclopedia of Exploration 1800 to 1850' W30; Rumsey 3839; Sabin 47014; Wagner-Camp-Becker 76:1; Wheat Transmississippi West II no. 445 pp. 49, 166-7.

The Mechanics Magazine is one of the finest sources for material on nineteenth century mechanics. It was founded in 1829 by Joseph Clinton Robertson (1788-1852), a patent agent in Fleet Street, London, who was therefore well placed to publish it. This particular weekly number features on its front cover two fabulous images of early steam railway engines. This illustrates the first article entitled ‘Proposition for a General Iron Rail-Way, with Steam-Engines to Supersede the Necessity of Horses in All Public Vehicles”. Dated 3 January 1823 this is one of the earliest references to the railways. Indeed the first passenger line was opened in 1925 between Stockton and Darlington by Edward Pease, ancestor of Lord Wardington.

A very rare map by Peiter Meijer published in "Algemeene Oefenschoole" which was issued in two volumes in 1763 and 1770. The work is a translation of Benjamin Martin's 'Natural History of England', 1755-63. Similarly, it describes the counties and illustrates them with a series of county maps. Like the Martin this two volume atlas forms only part of a larger thirty-one volume work. The title 'Algemeene Oefenschoole van Konsten en Weetenschappen' is translated as 'General Academy of Arts and Sciences'. Published in parts like the Martin we can deduce the maps were published between 1757 and 1770 from their presence on each map. The open acknowledgement of Emanuel Bowen as originator of the maps might indicate some form of approval from Martin for the work. It does not appear to have been a commercial success judging by its rarity. This map appears in the second volume. The engraver of the maps is Leonard Janszoon Schenck (1732-1800) whose name appears on the maps. The titles have been almost directly translated with the addition of a credit to Bowen and date of issue.Not in Chubb; Hodson (1984-97) 260; Koeman (1967-70) Supplement Meij 2 & Meij 1; Shirley (2004) Mei 1a; Tooley's Dictionary (1999-2004).