A classic Piranesi engraving of the Colosseum. Hind 56 st. 3 (of 6), a Rome edition

This fine map is considered the most decorative ever published of the county of Oxfordshire. What makes it particularly striking are the 172 coats of arms surrounding the map. Those along the top border represent the eighteen University Colleges, the City of Oxford along with the University and four further towns within the county. The remainder belong to the gentry in the county. A few roads are shown which makes the map notable for being one of the earliest English county maps to depict any. It is engraved by Michael Burghers, who is noted for engraving the plates for David Loggan’s ‘Oxonia Illustrata’ published two years earlier. The map illustrates Robert Plot’s ‘The Natural History of Oxford-Shire’ a work noted for being one of the first to depict fossils. Plot was a Professor of Chemistry at the University and later would become the first Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum.

A lovely example of Tomaso Porcacchi's map of the island of Puerto Rico. This is one of the earliest obtainable maps of the island, one of only a handful published in the sixteenth century. The topographical detail although good is a little conceptual. It includes a decorative cartouche, four sea monsters and a compass rose upper left. St.Coix (Croce) in the Virgin Islands is depicted lower right. The map is printed by Simone Galignani and engraved by Girolamo Porro and first appeared in the enlarged second edition of 'L'Isole Piu Famose del Mondo' issued in 1576. The atlas is classed as an ‘Isolario’ a term used to define an atlas of largely island maps. The tradition of the 'Isolario' began in the Mediterranean Sea and the first printed one appeared at the hands of Bartolommeo dalli Sonetti in c.1485. This was followed by the notable works of Benedetto Bordone in 1528 and Porcacchi. Phillips (1909-) 167; Sabin (1868) 64149; Shirley T.Por 1b no. 33.

The FIRST EDITION of Tomaso Porcacchi’s ‘L’Isole piu Famose del Mondo’. It is printed by Simone Galignani and the engraver Girolamo Porro. This work is classed as an ‘Isolario’ a term used to define an atlas of largely island maps. The tradition of the Isolario began in the Mediterranean Sea and the first printed one appeared at the hands of Bartolommeo dalli Sonetti in c.1485. This was followed by the notable works of Benedetto Bordone in 1528 and Porcacchi. The American section begins on page 101, which includes Porro's fine map of North America entitled ‘Mondo Nuovo’ derived from the extremely rare and important Paolo Forlani map of the same printed in 1565 in Venice. It was the first printed map of North America and through this work by Porcacchi reached a wide audience. The Forlani is also the earliest map available to depict the Straits of Anian. Further interesting maps include one of Temistitan before its destruction by the Spanish. The atlas also includes a map of the East Indies ‘Isole Molucche’. The book concludes with two world maps at the end, one oval 'a finely-executed reduction of Camocio’s large world map of 1567 [&] a nautical map covering most of the world' (Shirley). Both depict a large southern continent. The text here provides brief details of navigation with some detail on the winds and currents of the world. Provenance: CSK.18.6.13.58. Adams P-1904; Burden (1996-2007) no. 42; Nordenskiold Collection (1981) no. 185; Phillips (1909-) 166; Sabin (1868) 64148; Shirley (1984) nos. 127-28; Shirley (2004) T.Por 1b; Tolias (2007). ‘Isolarii, Fifteenth to Seventeenth’ in ‘The History of Cartography’ volume 3 part 1 pp. 271-2; USTC 850883.

An attractive copper engraved view of Tahiti. It appears in volume eight of the Abbe Prevost's 'Histoire Generale des Voyages'.

The first pocket sized road guide for the traveller in the North American colonies. This is the second edition following on from the first issued the previous year. The work is attributed to Thomas Prince because of an example of the work surviving at the Boston Public Library. The book is divided into six sections as outlined on the title page: I. Values of various commodities, II. Simple & Compound Interest, III. Names of Towns & Counties between Maine and Virginia with the times of Court sittings, IV. Times of General Meetings of Baptists & Quakers, V. Principal Roads between Kennebec (Maine) and Jamestown, Virginia, VI. Table of the Kings and Queens of England followed by various tables of Arithmetic and geography and a Directory of the streets of Boston including references to the various taverns and public houses. Provenance: Dorothy Sloan Auctions 21 November 1999 lot 56. Evans 3598; Howes P616; Sabin 98274.

This map of the county of Leicestershire is the first of the county at the scale of one inch to the mile and is here offered in its SECOND EDITION. It is one of the rarer of the eighteenth century surveys and is notable for the fact that unlike his major experienced competitors in this field, John Rocque and Thomas Jefferys, John Prior was a teacher, clergyman and mathematician. Despite this apparent lack of capability he was awarded the Silver Medal by the Society of Arts and 20 guineas. The survey itself was undertaken by Joseph Whyman from 1775-77 and lower right on the map we find, rather unusually, a complete triangulation of the county showing how the work progressed. It was published by Prior in 1779.On the map the parallel and meridian of Leicester are shown with the boundaries of the hundreds coloured. Turnpike roads have their Tollbars and Milestones identified. An indication of the importance of industry to this county is shown by the identification of Coal Pits, Lime Works, Wind Mills and Water Mills. The inset lower left is a detailed plan of the city of Leicester which was criticised for inaccuracies. Indeed it was excused for a lack of time to survey it properly. The whole map is engraved by John Luffman who completes it with a beautiful cartouche including both title and dedication to the Earl of Huntingdon. The apparent bucolic depiction in fact appears to bear a quantity of coal in front. John Prior died in 1803 and the map was acquired by Faden who issued this second edition. Further editions were published in 1804 and 1819 and all are rare. Baum (1972) pp. 37-9; Deadman & Brooks (2010) p. 100; Harley (1965) pp. 56 & 63; Rodger (1972) no. 262.

A very attractive early map of the British Isles projected in a trapezoidal style with rivers and towns noted, with Latin text on the verso. The author of the map is Laurent Fries a physician and geographer from Alsace. It is derived from that of Martin Waldseemuller published in Strasbourg in 1513. First published in 1522, by now Lorenz Fries had died. The blocks found their way into the possession of Melchoir and Gaspar Treschel. This edition was published in Lyon but printed in Vienne. Karrow, R.W. (16 c.) 28/2; Nordenskiold Collection 211 no. 1; Pastoureau Ptolemee F 1541 no. 2; Shirley 15 & 30; Shirley BL T.Ptol 7g.

Although labelled 'Greneland' this map depicts Spitsbergen in the arctic. This reflects early English belief that the two were connected somewhere at more northern latitudes. English interest was awakened following Henry Hudson's voyage during which he noted an abundance of whales. It is flanked by whaling scenes at the sides and bottom. Samuel Purchas was a collector of records of voyages, theologian and author. The map is found in his 'Purchas His Pilgrimes .…' published in London by Henry Featherstone. It was a huge collection of records of voyages, many of which appear for the first time. This map accompanies the account of Robert Featherby who in 1613 accompanied the fleet of Benjamin Joseph to Spitsbergen. The following year 1614 he commanded a voyage on behalf of the Muscovy Company to nearby waters. There were a total of ten ships and two pinnaces one of which carried William Baffin. According to Purchas the map is attributed to Thomas Edge, a captain who made a number of whaling voyages to the region. The west coast depiction is derived from a similar map by Hessel Gerritsz from 1613. The images surrounding the map were most probably derived from Fotherby's watercolours, the 'Seamorses' refer to whales and walruses. Pool (2011) in IMCoS Journal no. 121 35-42; Schilder (2013) pp. 372-3; Shirley 'Atlases in the British Library' G.Pur 1a no. 43 (incorrectly identifying the map as Greenland); Wieder, F.C. (Spitsbergen) 45.

A fine example of the Matthias Quad map of Bavaria, Germany, engraved by Johann Bussemacher. Published in Cologne. Meurer "Atlantes Colonienses" Qua 15.