A VERY RARE CHARMING ATLAS. Little is known about William Henry Reid. A W. H. Reid is listed in 'Johnstone's London Commercial Guide' for 1818 as an 'Appraiser & auct. 32, Charing-cross'. Further research found a William Henry Reid listed in the Post Office London Commercial Directory for 1843 as 'architectural, engineering & scientific bookseller & publisher, 15 Charing Cross'. It is a reasonable assumption to conclude this is one and the same person. His name appears on the title page as publisher but many of the maps bear the imprints or James Wallis and C. Hinton. As Reid’s name does not appear on the maps they are often referred to as the Wallis-Reid maps. James Wallis (fl.1810-25) was born it is believed in Southampton in 1784. He was apprenticed to John Roper in 1799 and freed on 5 February 1811. It appears he started out as an engraver, becoming a bookseller, printer, stationer and publisher. He was at one point imprisoned for debt in 1835. Wallis had earlier produced the 'New British Atlas' in 1813 and 'Wallis’s New Pocket Edition' c.1812. His last atlas production was the plates for this work, 'The Panorama' of 1820. Several maps cite Wallis and Hinton as publisher which might indicate that towards the end of the project, they sold the rights to Reid whose imprint appears as sole publisher on the title page. Wallis retained the printing rights. We know Wallis became bankrupt later but maybe his financial difficulties began much earlier. Each map is accompanied by extensive descriptive text. A rare work, Chubb recorded 'the only copy I have seen is in the possession of Dr. F. B. Penfold'. Provenance: private English collection. Beresiner (1983) p. 234; Chubb (1927) 372; Tooley's Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

A very large bull fighting promotional poster.

Gregor Reisch (c.1470-1525) was an Abbot at the Carthusian Monastery in Freiburg and noted mathematician. He also studied Hebrew and geography and became Confessor to the Emperor Maximilian I. Whilst there he taught Martin Waldseemuller and Sebastian Munster. He was the author of one of the most popular books on moral and natural philosophy entitled the ‘Margarita Philosophica’ first published in Freiburg in 1503. Their ensued several editions published in Freiburg, Strasbourg and Basel. Shirley identifies four different woodcut maps which appeared in these. Most of them include a Ptolemaic world map. Two of the maps are modern and include America. The first of these offered here is listed in Shirley as being a Strasbourg edition of the work printed by J. Gruninger in 1513. The earliest reference I can find is in Nordenskiold’s ‘Facsimile Atlas’ of 1889. Bagrow and Skelton refer to the same edition for the map in ‘History of Cartography’ 1964. However, I have been unable to find a listing for this edition. ‘Of all the maps found in Reisch’s ‘Margarita’, the two ‘’modern’ ones of 1513 and 1515 are least likely to be present and are thus the scarcest of those cited’ (Shirley).The map is very rare and if dated to 1513 takes on some significance as it displays both North and South America in the same year as Waldseemuller’s great Ptolemaic atlas was published. It is a simplified version of Waldseemuller’s magnificent twelve sheet wall map of the world published in 1507 surviving in just the one example. It is updated with the latest geography from the modern portion of the Ptolemy. This is particularly notable from the depiction of Asia and the presence of North America. Residing now at the Library of Congress it is famous for being the earliest to record ‘America’.The map breaks down the areas of the world with simple straight lines. Larger areas are named, smaller ones are letter keyed to a typographic table below the map. North and South America are connected by a land bridge but the only name appearing is ‘paria seu prisilia’ referring to ‘Brasilia’. Provenance: private English collection for 40 years; Bagrow & Skelton (1964) p. 126; Nordenskiold (1889) Facsimile pp. 42, 70 & 92; Shirley (1993) no. 36 and 22; Shirley (2003) ‘An Unusual Find’, in IMCoS Journal 92 pp. 27-9; Tooley Dictionary.

This ornate title page is from the first edition of Robert de Vauguondy's 'Atlas Universel' published in 1757. Shirley 'Atlases in the BL' T.Robv-1b.

This image is arguably one of the most famous by David Roberts (1796-1864). It illustrates the Sphinx with a large evocative setting sun in the background. In the foreground are men with camels and an approaching caravan. It was published in Roberts' 'Egypt and Nubia' published 1846-9. He was the first British artist to sketch the monuments of Egypt. The lithographic stones were the work of Louis Haghe (1806-85) and were supposedly destroyed at the auction of final stock of prints. Abbey Travel 272.114; Tooley (1954) 402.

ONE OF ONLY TWO KNOWN EXAMPLES. T. Laurie Murray was a surveyor, publisher and founder member of the Royal Geographical Society. His major cartographic work was the English county atlas entitled 'An Atlas of the English Counties' first published in 1830. It contained forty-four maps engraved by Edward Hoare and James Reeves and identified Murray as the publisher. A second edition the following year involved the imprint dates being altered to each plate. The further history of the plates is murky, particularly after they left Murray’s possession. William Robson is not even listed in the revised edition of 'Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers'. Some of the county bibliographies refer to him issuing later states of the respective county maps and one complete collection of the maps in this state exists in a private English collection. Robson issued commercial directories from 1819 to about 1842 and it appears also issued the Murray maps separately. From about 1838 he expanded into producing county directories, often bound along with that for London. According to Shaw and Tipper’s work on English and Welsh Directories, Robson published eight of them between the years of about 1838 and 1840. These covered all but the following counties: Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, and Rutland in the midlands, and Cumberland, Northumberland and Westmoreland in the north. That of Lancashire is represented by Liverpool only, Staffordshire and Warwickshire by Birmingham and Yorkshire only by the West Riding and Sheffield. It is notable that the first eight counties above are the only ones lacking any imprint. This is the case in both known examples. Similarly, those of Wales, Scotland and Ireland are also omitted.His Directories were compilations of earlier publications including the Murray maps and were poorly assembled. This was a fiercely competitive arena and one in which it appears he suffered against the more professional and thorough opposition of the likes of James Pigot and Co. The most notable change to each map is the replacement of Murray's imprint with that of 'William Robson & Co Directory Office London'. Most county bibliographies do not record the imprint at all. Further revisions include those to the railway network and the addition of the poor law unions on each map. The Poor Law of 1834 brought about the grouping of local parishes to form Poor Law Unions, each with its own workhouse. No other example of this atlas could be located online, only the one example in a private collection is known. Beresiner (1983) pp. 164-5; Burgess (2009) 125/v; not in Carroll (1996); Hodson (1974) no. 90; not in Tooley's Dictionary.

John Rocque was a Huguenot who at an early age settled in England. By 1734 he was a surveyor, engraver and publisher. His most important English county contribution was a series of maps first published in the 'English Traveller' in 1746. This is extremely rare and was followed by their inclusion in 'The Small British Atlas' , 1753. This is an example of the map of Cornwall in its second state with the incomplete erasure of the plate mark upper right as issued in the 1753 issue. Skelton-Hodson 198.

THE EARL OF ROSEBERY'S COPY OF AN EARLY STATE OF ROCQUE'S FAMOUS 16 SHEET SURVEY OF LONDON, NOT RECORDED in either Darlington & Howgego or Baynton-Williams. Jean Rocque (c.1704-62), to use his native name, was a Huguenot émigré who with his family settled in England by about 1709. By 1734 he was a surveyor, engraver and publisher and worked first in the region of Soho, a known centre for French emigrants. His next move was to the outskirts of London at the time in Piccadilly. His early work appears to be related to garden design as his brother Bartholomew was a landscape gardener. Indeed the region of Piccadilly at the time was renowned for its gardens, and suppliers of material for them. The connection to engraving possibly came about due to their cousin, also Bartholomew who worked as one in Mannheim, Germany. John Rocque’s earliest works reflect these beginnings many of which were of gardens or estates. The first was of Richmond Gardens, now Kew, in 1734.He progressed towards town plans as he noted these were poorly mapped, and with the burgeoning wealth of the time there was a growing demand for them. In conjunction with John Pine he began in 1737 work on a plan of London, obviously an enormous task it would be 1744 before it was finished. By then it appears that he had sold his partnership in the project to John Tinney. The finances were clearly strained; the final work in 24 sheets was published in October 1746. In 1741 Rocque began work on a further London survey this time taking in the environs. It is possible to surmise that it was about 1741 that Rocque relinquished his share in the 24 sheet plan. The environs would be of more value to Rocque as it covered many estates which would likely bring further business. The work for this map was completed in 1745 although the first sheet was published 13 February 1744. The remaining were issued over a period of months and completed around May of 1746 in 16 sheets, a few months prior to the 24 sheet map. Although this map is not to the same scale as the 24 sheet which is focused more on the city. It is in some ways more interesting as many of the present day inner suburbs are here fields and farms with small villages. These are all depicted at the large scale of five and half inches to the mile. The whole work measures 1450 x 1800 mm.'It is hard to understate Rocque’s importance. While other mapmakers had issued such large-scale maps before, no individual had attempted such a broad range. Perhaps more importantly, Rocque began work at a time when English mapmaking was at a low ebb, with much of the material being published being long out of date. His work made an enormous contribution to the impetus for what has been termed the ‘Remapping of England'’ (Baynton-Williams).The map extends from Canonbury to Mile End, St. George’s Fields and Osterley. This state of the map is not recorded in Darlington and Howgego or Baynton-Williams. Neither reference work cites an example lacking the Latin and French titles which would later flank the English title above the map itself. However the map itself conforms to Darlington & Howgego’s (D & H) second state, the first edition with the addition of Whitechapel Mount etc. This example bears a revised title dated 1748. It is not uncommon to find such a variation of content. The Earl of Rosebery (1847-1929) was a lifelong bibliophile and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894-95. A good example of one of the first and finest plans of London in the Georgian era. Provenance: with the bookplate of Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. He built 'one of the most remarkable book collections of his day, distributed amongst his libraries at Dalmeny, Barnbougle, Mentmore, the Durdens, Villa Rosebery, near Naples and his London residence in Berkeley Square' (Sotheby's Introduction to a catalogue of his books 29 October 2009). Barker, Felix & Jackson, Peter. (1990). ‘The History of London in Maps’ pp. 54-65; Barber (2012) London pp. 110-11; Baynton-Williams, Ashley 26 (this state not listed); Darlington & Howgego (1964) no. 94 (this state not listed); ESTC N4897; ODNB; Varley, J. (1948). ‘John Rocque: engraver, surveyor, cartographer and map-seller’, in Imago Mundi, 5, 83–91.

The plates for this atlas were first issued in Thomas Read's very rare English Traveller published in 1746 in only three volumes, the work was never completed. Jean Rocque (c.1704-62), to use his native name, was a Huguenot émigré who at an early age settled in England. By 1734 he was a surveyor, engraver and publisher. His work is renowned for its beauty and its accuracy and several important large scale maps were produced by him. Although undated there is plenty of evidence to place the first edition of John Rocque’s Small British Atlas in 1753. The general parliamentary map of England is dated 1753, Rocque moved to the ‘Old Round Court in the Strand’ in 1753 and the ensuing edition of the work is also dated 1753. The original plates were revised by in most cases, the addition of a plate number upper right and the enhancing of one line of the double lined roads. Hodson details other revisions including some of the scale bars. Thomas Read’s large folding general map is replaced by another.Three issues of The Small British Atlas were published at this time. Of the first, just one example survives. The second edition is exceedingly rare and contained a newly engraved title page dated 1753, clearly indicating its issue later in the same year. Only three known examples survive. This 'third' edition dated 1753 includes a new typographic title page similarly worded but now including the imprint of Robert Sayer. The date for publication of the Small British Atlas may be deduced to be the summer of 1753 as Sayer placed a number of adverts commencing with the Public Advertiser on 11 June. It was priced at 7s. 6d. for uncoloured copies as stated on the title, coloured were offered for 10s. 6d. Chubb (1927) 207; ESTC T229345; Hodson (1984-97) 200; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

A woodcut reduction of Braun & Hogenburg's plan of London. It is NOT RECORDED by Darlington and Howgego in their carto-bibliography of London plans. Adrien Romain (1561-1615) was born in Louvain in 1561 and became a noted mathematician, physician and priest. In 1595 he published the first edition of 'Parvum Theatrum Urbium sive Urbium Praecipuarum' a collection of town plans and birds'-eye views derived from Braun & Hogenberg's 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' first issued in 1572. Here they are considerably reduced in size. A second edition appeared in 1608. Not in Darlington & Howgego (1964) no. 4; not in Fordham MCC 'Town Plans of the British Isles'; Phillips LC 65; Sabin 73000; Shirley BL T.Rom 1a no. 2; Tooley's Dictionary.