Henry Teesdale (1776-1855) was a successful publisher in London is best known for two English County atlases. In 1829, he acquired the county plates to Robert Rowe’s exceedingly rare English Atlas and after revision published them as the New British Atlas. Encouraged by its undoubted success he embarked on a reduced sized county atlas which he published the following year entitled A New Travelling Atlas. In this work, the roads are made the principal feature. For some reason, it was not a great success, at least judging from the fact that only five known examples survive. For the second edition in 1843 plate numbers were added as were railways in the counties where they had been introduced. Both series of copper plates became the property of Henry George Collins (fl.1832-58) and the Travelling Atlas was re-issued with his imprint about 1849. By 1857 the business had failed and ownership of the atlas had passed to William Somerville Orr, whose one edition is given the date of c.1852 although possibly later. Then they passed in to the hands of John Heywood who would issue a number of editions. This issue dates from 1868 which is generally accepted based on the state of the railway network depicted. Provenance: Doreen Green Collection; Clive A. Burden Ltd Catalogue XIV (2017) item 39; private English collection. Burgess (2004) no. 124; Carroll (1996) no. 92; refer Chubb (1927) no. 531; Tooley's Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

This is a reduction in four large sheets of Greenwood's nine sheet map of 1828. This is the second state according to Rodger issued in the same year. The first bears the date July 1843, this the second bears September 1843 and the publishers address is added. There were four further editions to some time after 1847. Rodger 531.

FIRST EDITION. We know little about William Colling Hobson who died c.1878. Amongst his works are several engraved by John & Charles Walker including this. The most recognisable of their collaborations is probably 'Walker's Fox Hunting Atlas'. The Walker's were part of an extensive family, many of whom were in the map business. John Walker (fl.1813-73) was a brother to Charles Walker (1799?-1872) and in about 1827 they formed the partnership of J. & C. Walker.This large-scale map of Durham is drawn at the scale of three quarters of an inch to a mile. It was first published here c.1839. Two ensuing issues were published in 1840 both dated. There are only three earlier large-scale printed maps of the county; the exceedingly rare Christopher Maire of 1711, Andrew Armstrong in 1768 and Christopher Greenwood’s in 1820. This map was published by Thomas Malby (1781-1854) who were largely globemakers and chart publishers for the Admiralty. The map details all of the railways and tram ways. A rare map in its first state. Rodger (1972) 105; Tooley (1986) refer no. DV18; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

The origin of this series of copper plate county maps was unknown until 1983. Joseph Allen was a publisher and engraver of 3 Hampden Str., Sommerstown, London. When originally uncovered, Yasha Beresiner identified the author as John Allen. It was in 1993 that Eugene Burden reported in private correspondence that he had looked up the 1811 Directory and identified him as Joseph Allen (fl.1798-1821). His major work appears to be the co-engraving with Robert Rowe (c.1775-1843) of a plan of London entitled ‘… London, Westminster and Southwark’, first published in 1804. Allen was apprenticed to William Palmer in 1791, as was interestingly Robert Rowe (apprenticed 1789). Allen was identified as being the son of a farmer from Wallop, Hampshire.Rowe had already engraved one series of county cards as a game for John Fairburn in 1798. Clearly encouraged, he persuaded Joseph Allen to produce another. Indeed, it appears from the second example of Fairburn cards, that Allen may already have been a partner or owner of that series. It is worth noting that the wording of the rules on the cover of the case are identical to that found on the cover of the second set of Fairburn cards in the Burden Collection. The maps are derived from the 1806 issue of John Cary’s Traveller’s Companion. There are now three known examples of the first state. Only two known examples of the second state survive.The ensuing history is even rarer. Only two examples are recorded of John Thomson's New English Atlas 1823. These reside in the Bodleian Library and a private collection. Their final issue is this exceedingly rare work by Orlando Hodgson and it is engraved throughout. The plates were unaltered, and the title is very similarly worded. The main difference is that here the title calls for a ‘Copious Topographical Account’. None of the surviving examples bears any text so the likelihood is that it was a separate publication for which this was an accompaniment. Undated, the work is now believed to have been published between 1826 and 1828, the years during which Hodgson is recorded at the Maiden Lane address in the Post Office London Directory. Orlando Hodgson was a part of the family firm of Hodgson and Company at 10 Newgate Street, London, in 1825. It seems he then operated under his own name from 21 Maiden Lane, London, from where he published this work. Only three institutional examples are known. The British Library (Maps 2.aa.4), Aberdeen University (Lib R 912(42) Hod) and the Bodleian Library (C.17.f.9) which lacks the title page and preliminaries. Provenance: manuscript inscription inside upper cover of J? Briggs; private English collection. Carroll (1996); Chubb (1927) 371; Smith, D. (1991d); Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).

'In 1678 Johann Christoph Beer translated into German Pierre Duval's highly successful little atlas entitled 'Le Monde Terreste, ou la Geographie Universelle', first published in Paris, 1660. An English edition of the atlas was also produced but only this Nuremberg issue bore maps. It was published by Johann Hoffman who employed the local engraver Sigismund Hipschmann to render the plates. The atlas was republished in the years 1679, 1681, 1690 and 1694.' Burden 'North America' no. 499.

This plate is undated but the dedication to Gilbert Sheldon the Archbishop of Canterbury narrows the dates to 1663-77. It is published by John Ogilby who bears the title Royal Cosmographer which he was appointed in 1671, he died in 1676. Hence the best guess would be the early 1670s. The fine panorama of Canterbury from a distance is typical of Hollar’s finest work. Thomas Johnson (fl/ 1634-76) was the artist for the view along with that of the Cathedral below. Johnson, a native of Canterbury, was a noted landscape painter of the day. The plan of the city is derived from that of John Speed first published in 1612. This work is believed to date from the early days of preparation for his ambitious atlas of the English counties. Money and his own health caught up with him, but fortunately he did indeed manage to publish the immensely important ‘Britannia’ in 1675. The first state is incredibly rare; this example is the second by Henry Overton whose imprint appears lower right. Second state of three. Hyde Gilded Scenes no.12; Pennington 961.2; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

FIRST STATE. A superb detailed map of the Attica peninsula containing Athens. This is an example of the first state before the addition of the privilege. The map is drawn by George Wheeler about whom little is known, he appears to have recorded a number of ancient texts during the seventeenth century. Zacharakis, C. 1084.

The famous German firm of cartographic publishers was founded by Johann Baptist Homann in 1702 in Nuremberg. In 1707 he published the "Neuer Atlas" whose success continued for many years. This fine map of Bavaria in southern Germany was issued in the first edition. It bears an elaborate ornate title cartouche. Heinz "A Programme for Map Publishing: the Homann Firm of the Eighteenth Century", in "Imago Mundi" no. 49 pp. 104-115; Shirley, BL Atlases, T.HOM-1a, 27.

This fine detailed map of the Straits of Gibraltar is often listed as being by Johann Baptiste Homann after one drawn by the engineer J. de Petit and published by J.F. Weidler. It is engraved by R.A. Schneider with a fine decorative title cartouche and three fine ships in the Atlantic Ocean. It shows the Spanish coastline and interior in some detail from Malaga in the east to and beyond Cadiz in the west. Although listed as a Homann map the name is not written in the usual way. Stylistically it is just like a Nicolas de Fer map with similar paper being used and even the large margins, something Homann's maps never had. A curious item.

The famous German firm of cartographic publishers was founded by Johann Baptist Homann in 1702 in Nuremberg. In 1707 he published the "Neuer Atlas" whose success continued for many years. In recognition of his success Homann was elected to the Berlin Academy of Sciences. In 1715 Homann was appointed Geographer to the Emperor. Homann died in 1724 and was succeeded by his son Johann Christoph (1703-30) who died shortly after. This large scale detailed map covers Lower Saxony and extends from Bremen in the north west through Hamburg, Lubeck, Wismar and Rostock to the Island of Rugen. The city of Berlin is displayed just above the title cartouche with Gottingen shown lower left.