[British Islands] Holy Island, Farne, Guernsey, Jersey.
by Speed, John:
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Basset & Chiswell, 1676. Copper engraving, 38.5 x 51 cms, modern hand-colour, four maps on one sheet, English text to verso. Islands around the British coast were often grouped, in various cominations, by early mapmakers. John Speed (1552-1629) is unquestionably the most significant English map-maker of the seventeenth-century. A brief note, from Grangers Bibliographical History of England (1779) contains most of the information we have about Speeds life: John Speed, who was bred a Tailor, was by the generosity of Sir Fulk Grevil, his patron, set free from a manual employment and enabled to pursue his studies, to which he was strongly inclined by the bent of his genius. The fruits of them were his Theatre of Great Britain, containing an entire set of maps of the counties drawn by himself, his History of Great Britain, richly adorned with seals, coins & medals, from the Cotton collection; and his Genealogies of Scripture, first bound up with the Bible, in 1611 which was the first edition of the present English translation. His maps were very justly esteemed & his History of Great Britain, was, in its kind incomparably more complete, than all the histories of his predecessors put together
The first edition of Speeds Theatre was published in 1612. It was the first atlas of the British Isles, and the first attempt made by an Englishman to match the achievements of the great continental publishing houses although much of the engraving of the copper plates was performed in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius. Speed was an antiquary, and intended that his atlas should be read in conjunction with his history of Britain. He managed to include a great deal of historical detail on his modern county maps and the inset town plans, some surveyed by himself, together comprise the first collection of town plans of the British Isles, all in all making the Theatre a highly decorative as well as a useful volume. It was a great success and there were editions printed throughout the seventeenth-century. Map
Details
- Bookseller
- Bryars and Bryars (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5122
- Title
- [British Islands] Holy Island, Farne, Guernsey, Jersey.
- Author
- Speed, John:
- Book Condition
- Used
- Publisher
- Basset & Chiswell
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1676
- Bookseller catalogs
- British Isles;
Terms of Sale
Bryars and Bryars
Books may be returned within seven days of receipt if not entirely as described. All items remain the property of the vendor until payment has been received in full. Payment must be made in Pounds Sterling drawn on a UK bank.
About the Seller
Bryars and Bryars
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Bryars and Bryars
Our shop is located in Cecil Court, a charming Victorian backwater in the heart of London's theatreland which boasts over 20 specialist book, map and print shops. Open: Mon-Sat 11-6. Nearest tube: Leicester Square (Exit 1, Charing Cross Road south, towards National Gallery).
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.