This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90; Smith Hereford pp. 71-2.

This map is from Richard Blome's miniature series of maps first published in 1681 under the title of 'Speed's Maps Epitomiz'd'. The plates for this were begun in 1667 and engraved at the same time he was evidently working on his folio 'Britannia'. Their early history is a mystery. For some unknown and much speculated reason they were not published until 1681. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. It was issued under the same title again in 1685, and as the 'Cosmography and Geography' in 1693. All these early editions are very rare. Blome died in 1705 and from 1715 Thomas Taylor issued them as 'England Exactly Described'. These are the issues more usually found. However there is one later very rare edition by Thomas Bakewell of which only six examples are recorded. This map of Gloucester is in this very rare state bearing the imprint of Bakewell at the bottom. Skelton 90 & Hodson 141.

This map is from Richard Blome's minature series of maps first published in 1681 under the title of 'Speed's Maps Epitomiz'd'. The plates for this were begun in 1667 and engraved at the same time he was evidently working on his folio 'Britannia'. Their early history is a mystery. For some unknown and much speculated reason they were not published until 1681. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. It was issued under the same title again in 1685, and as the 'Cosmography and Geography' in 1693. All these early editions are very rare. Blome died in 1705 and from 1715 Thomas Taylor issued them as 'England Exactly Described' and it is from this issue that this map comes. Skelton 90 & Skelton-Hodson 139.

This map is engraved by the noted Wenceslaus Hollar and is indeed the only one signed by him in the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Blome utilised different engravers and this map is one of six to bear a date. Here 1671, the earliest is 1669 indicated something of the publication history. The work was lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Baum p. 6; Deadman & Brooks pp. 38; Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. A later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one example. This map of the West Riding of Yorkshire bears the arms of Sir Thomas Osborne lower left. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Rawnsley 18; Skelton 90.

This attractive map is from the 'Britannia' which was intended as the third part of Richard Blome's grand atlas in four volumes announced in 1668. Lambasted by Bishop Nicolson in 1696 as 'a most entire piece of theft out of Camden and Speed' and by Richard Gough in 1780 as 'a most notorious piece of plagiarism'. Blome himself disclaimed originality claiming in the Preface 'I do not own myself the Author, but the Undertaker [i.e. publisher] of this work'. One should remember that this was the first edition of Camden's 'Britannia' to be issued with maps since the 1630s. Blome was one of the earliest to finance his works by subscription. One later edition of the work is known in 1677 which survives in just one known example. Shirley BL T.Blom-2a; Skelton 90.