Plan of Ancient Rome

SDUK (Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge)

Published by Baldwin and Craddock, London, 1844

Map. Uncolored engraving. 12 1/8" x 15 1/2" This detailed map of Ancient Rome by W.B. Clarke was engraved by J. & C. Walker and published in 1844 by The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The city is depicted in detail, noting important roads and buildings, with elevations of twelve notable ancient buildings along bottom edge. Labels the seven hills of Rome and the various circuses and baths, including the baths of Caracalla, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, among others. Identifies the Wall of Aurelian and Honorius as well as Servian Wall. A key along the left border lists the 14 regions of ancient Rome. The map is in very good condition. William Barnard Clarke (1806-1865) was an English architect, cartographer, archeological writer and art collector. He was the founding president of the Architectural Society of London. The "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge" (SDUK), founded in 1826 at the initiative of British lord Henry Peter Brougham, aimed to distribute affordable, high-quality educational materials to the working and middle classes. Despite ties to prestigious publishers like Baldwin and Cradock, Chapman and Hall, and Charles Knight, SDUK closed in 1848 due to financial challenges. It achieved renown for its exceptional atlases, notably a comprehensive series of maps initially issued individually and later consolidated into a groundbreaking world atlas under Chapman and Hall. SDUK maps are celebrated for their accuracy, detail, and accessibility, representing a pinnacle of 19th-century English mass-market cartography. Seller Inventory # 330677

Bibliographic Details

Title: Plan of Ancient Rome
Publisher: Baldwin and Craddock, London
Publication Date: 1844
Binding: unbound
Illustrator: W. B. Clarke; J. & C. Walker