A superb bird's-eye view of the walled and fortified city of Zurich in Switzerland as published by Sebastian Munster in the 'Cosmographia'. It is set on a full sheet of text in German. The detail is quite remarkable with each individual building and house beautifully rendered. Munster was a renowned hebraist and geographer. The "Cosmographia" was first published in 1544 just four years after his first publication of Ptolemy's "Geographia". It was a large compendium of topographical information which was consistently expanded during its lifetime. Later publication of the "Cosmographia" was by his step-son Heinrich Petri. Burmeister; Oehme "Introduction to the Facsimile of the 1550 Edition of Munster's Cosmographia"; Fauser, A. 15958; Shirley Atlases in the BL T.Mun 1a.

T. Laurie Murray was a surveyor, publisher and founder member of the Royal Geographical Society. His major cartographic work was this English county atlas entitled 'An Atlas of the English Counties' first published in 1830. It contained forty-four maps engraved by Hoare and Reeves and identifying Murray as publisher. The second edition offered here, was issued the following year and involved the imprint dates being altered to each plate. The further history of the plates is murky, particularly after they left Murray’s possession. They appear in the hands of William Robson. Beresiner pp. 164-5; Chubb 420; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).

An attractive little map of China including taiwan, Korea and part of Japan.

A very fine rare map of the region of La Rochelle published in 1704. Above and below the title cartouche are two vignette views of La Rochelle and Rochefort. Jean Baptiste Nolin (1657-1708) was a geographer, engraver and publisher on the Rue St. Jacques in Paris. The map is dedicated to Monsieur Begon, a counsellor to the King. With a detailed plan and view of the Tower of Cordouan lower left and an architectural cutting above. Pastoureau (1984) p. 357 (this map not listed).

A very fine rare map of the region of Andalusia in southern Spain first published at an unknown date. The scale of the map is quite wonderful extending from west of Cadiz to east of Almeria taking in the cities of Seville, Cordova, and Granada inland. Two ornate title cartouche are found, one written in French, and the other in Spanish dedicated to the King of Spain, Felipe V. He reigned from 1700-24. Jean Baptiste Nolin (1657-1708) was a geographer, engraver and publisher on the Rue St. Jacques in Paris. This example was most likely bound into 'Le Theatre du Monde', his atlas first published in 1707. The left side title bears the additional imprint of Jean Leonard in Brussels, he is not recorded at all in Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers. Shirley 'Atlases in the British Library' T.NOL 2a II no. 19 & 20.

John Norden is noted as being the first person to undertake a complete series of county histories. Unfortunately, he suffered financial issues during his life which limited the reach of the project. This is largely due to 'the Puritan tracts he wrote to raise money and his flattering dedication to Essex shortly before the uprising of 1599 set him so far out of political favour that he never received the patronage necessary to finance expensive surveys' (Globe). The first part was successfully published in 1593 which covered Middlesex, Hertfordshire followed in 1598. No others were published during his lifetime, but he left a few further county histories in manuscript form. Norden's maps were pioneering. Two books were published at his own expense, those of Middlesex and Hertfordshire, the remainder of his manuscripts remained unpublished apart from the maps of Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex, which were privately financed. That of Surrey survives in just one example and is engraved by Charles Whitwell, the Sussex similarly is known in just one example and is engraved by Christopher Switzer. There are no known printed examples of the Hampshire in its first issue. Indeed, even the second state Peter Stent (fl.1642-65) is only known by the one example.Norden introduced the graticule or grid system to maps with reference numbers and letters in the margins. This was to enable the easier location of places. A list of the 40 Hundreds of the county is found on the left side with below a note on the scale which 'goeth rounde about the mapp'. An explanation sits beside it with the arms of the Marquis of Winchester and the Earl of Southampton on the right side. His surveying was considered superior to that of Saxton and as such was the preferred source by the likes of John Speed, William Hole and William Kip. Stent died from the plague 29 September 1665, which was raging in London that year and which before it was done would claim 20% of its population. He bequeathed his estate to his wife Susanna, shortly after it was sold to John Overton (1640-1713) the printseller. Stent’s stock was arguably the largest collection of prints on the market at the time. Amongst this he found twelve copper plates of the English counties by William Smith. These formed the nucleus of a set of maps of the English Counties. Those counties which Overton could not provide from his own stock were supplied by the acquired maps of Speed, Blaeu or Jansson. These county atlases were an English version of a rich seam of similar Dutch composite atlases published from the mid-seventeenth century. They are exceedingly rare SURVIVING IN JUST FOUR KNOWN EXAMPLES, none complete. Later atlases sold by his son Henry are similarly rare, only seven survive. This is an example of the third state of the map which judging by the large margins was issued by Overton's son Henry. Provenance: Phillips 11 December 1997 lot 53; private English collection. Baynton-Williams (2006) 'John Overton (1640-1713)' in 'Map Forum' no. 9 pp. 18-24; Globe (1985) p. 98 & no. 344; Hind (1952-64) I pp. 195-202; Hodson (1984-97) I p. 61; Rodgers (1972) 163; Shirley, R.W. (2004) T.Ove 3a, no. 14; refer Skelton (1970) 89; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

THE FIRST PRINTED MAP OF MIDDLESEX. John Norden (c.1547-1625) is noted as being the first person to undertake a complete series of county histories. Unfortunately he suffered financial issues during his life which limited the reach of the project. This is largely due to ‘the Puritan tracts he wrote to raise money and his flattering dedication to Essex shortly before the uprising of 1599 set him so far out of political favour that he never received the patronage necessary to finance expensive surveys’ (Globe). The first part which covered Middlesex was successfully published at Norden's expense in 1593. Hertfordshire followed in 1598 but no others were published during his lifetime although manuscripts of some do survive. The original manuscript of Middlesex survives in one example without any maps.Of the three engraved maps that of London is signed by Pieter van den Keere as engraver and it is presumed he was responsible for those of Westminster and Middlesex also. Norden’s map was the first of the county to display roads and the internal divisions. The system of a graticule was also a first. The maps display the location of all of Elizabeth’s Palaces and contains a copper mill. Norden recorded remarkable detail for such a small map. Norden keys ‘Houses of Nobilitie’, ‘Houses of Knights, Gent &’, ’Hospitales’, ‘Places where battells have bene’ and ‘Decayde places’.Barber, Peter. (2007). ‘Mapmaking in England, ca.1470-1650’ in ‘The History of Cartography’ volume 3 part 2 pp. 1632-4; Hind I pp. 195-205, 210-11 pl. 116; Kitchen, Frank. (1997). ‘John Norden (c.1547-1625): Estate Surveyor, Topographer, County Mapmaker and Devotional Writer’, in ‘Imago Mundi’ no. 49 pp. 43-61; Lawrence, Heather. (1989). ‘John Norden and his colleagues: surveyors of Crown Lands’, in ‘The Map Collector’ no. 49 pp. 25-8; Schilder (2007) 'Monumenta Cartographica Neerlandica', vol. 8. pp. 329-32; Upcott (1968) II p. 582; Worms, Laurence. (2007). ‘The London Map Trade to 1640’ in ‘The History of Cartography’ volume 3 part 2 pp. 1705-6; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

John Norden (c.1547-1625) is noted as being the first person to undertake a complete series of county histories. Unfortunately he suffered financial issues during his life which limited the reach of the project. This is largely due to "the Puritan tracts he wrote to raise money and his flattering dedication to Essex shortly before the uprising of 1599 set him so far out of political favour that he never received the patronage necessary to finance expensive surveys" (Globe). The first part was successfully published in 1593 which covered Middlesex, Hertfordshire followed in 1598. Both were published at Norden's expense. No others were published during his lifetime but he left a few further county histories in manuscript form. After dedications to Queen Elizabeth and Sir William Cecil this reprint entitled 'Speculum Britanniae' begins with a lengthy introduction by John Norden. This is followed by the first part describing Middlesex which includes three engraved maps of the county, London and Westminster engraved by John Senex after those of John Norden. Then there is a description of Hertfordshire complete with engraved map of the county by John Senex after that of John Norden. Of the original manuscripts by Norden that of Middlesex survives in one example without map. The Hertfordshire survives in two examples, both with manuscript maps, one in private hands. Provenance: London Library duplicate; bookplate of Heather Lawrence inside front cover; Marrin's Bookshop; private English collection. Darlington and Howgego (1964) 5; ESTC T136123; Hodson (1974) 26; Kitchen (1997); Lawrence (1989); Upcott (1968) p. 582; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

A magnificent series of extremely high quality etchings of great rarity. The first Earl Harcourt was governor to the royal princes and in the early 1750s his children, George Simon the Viscount Nuneham and Lady Elizabeth Harcourt took lessons in drawing from Richard Dalton and landscape from George Knapton, Joshua Kirby and Alexander Cozens. It is known that they on occasion were taught in the company of the royal princes. The Harcourt family had owned Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire since the Norman Conquest but in 1712 had acquired Newnham Courtenay. The first Earl moved the family there and renamed it Nuneham. Also associated with the family at this time was the great artist Paul Sandby (1725-1809). In 1760 a painting of his of Nuneham was exhibited at the Society of Artists.The Viscount (1736-1809) was a Francophile at heart and loved the old family home which connected himself to the Normans. Like his father he was a patron of the arts although at the more extreme for the period. He befriended Rousseau who actually stayed with him during his exile from France. In 1760 Nuneham drew two images (plates I & IV) of the old Stanton-Harcourt family home. In the same year Paul Sandby provided a third, critically acclaimed the best. In 1763 Nuneham etched the three and produced a fourth drawing which he etched the following year. His contemporary Horace Walpole wrote on 16 March 1763 that the first two prints were “the richest etchings I ever saw, and masterly executed”. He noted also that Nuneham was planning two more. Despite the statements on the prints to the contrary there is some evidence from the pencil notes of Sandby that it was he who drew the original views.In 1785 Viscount Nuneham, the then second Earl Harcourt, presented the original copperplates for the series of four views to the Society of Antiquaries. A second edition, offered here, dedicated to the Society was printed in the same year. Daghlian and Hilles, p. 230; Salway, Peter (1996) ‘The Society’s Prints of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire’, in ‘The Antiquaries Journal vol. 76 pp. 269-75; Sloan, Kim (2000) A Noble Art; Upcott III p. 1076.

John Ogilby's seminal work was entitled 'Britannia, Volume the First. Or An Illustration of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales: by A Geographical and Historical Description of the Principal Roads Thereof'. It was the first national road-atlas of any country in Western Europe and a landmark in the mapping of England and Wales. Ogilby (1600–1676) had a remarkable life and arguably its finest achievement published just before his death the following year is the 'Britannia'. The 100 double-page engraved road maps were composed of maps of seventy-three major roads and cross-roads, presented in a continuous strip-form. For the first time in England, the atlas was prepared on a uniform scale, at one inch to a mile, based on the statute mile of 1,760 yards to the mile. Ogilby claimed that 26,600 miles of roads were surveyed in the course of preparing the atlas, but only about 7,500 were actually depicted in print. "In its comprehensiveness, its incorporation of new devices of computation and delineation, and its opulence of paper, design and decoration, it immediately set a new standard for map-making in England ... this volume was an attempt at a scientific study not only of the roads but also the terrain and habitations on either side of the roads" (K.S. Eerde, John Ogilby and the Taste of his Times, 1976, p.137). This sheet is plate 65 in its numbered state with ornate title cartouche. The map shows the road from Dartmouth to Minehead including both Exeter and Teverton along the route. Chubb C; Shirley, British Library T.OGIL-4a; Wing O168.