Britannia. Volume the First: or an Illustration of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales: By a Geographical and Historical Description of the Principal Roads thereof.

OGILBY, John (1600-1676) - BOWEN, Emanuel (1694-1767) and John OWEN.

Published by London: Printed by the Author at his House in White-Fryers, 1675

About this Item

Folio (16 x 10 1/2 in.; 40.6 x 26.7 cm). Engraved frontispiece by Wencelaus Hollar after Francis Barlow, letterpress title-page printed in red and black, double-page map of England and Wales signed James Moxon in lower left corner, 100 double-page engraved road maps, engraved headpieces and historiated initials. BINDING/CONDITION: Some browning and foxing to text, about 15 maps browned, paper flaw in upper left corner of map 8 and so printed, map 45 and text partially sprung from text block, left margin of map 51 cropped slightly affecting first portion of the route, lower margins of maps 69 and 100 shaved costing plate number. Contemporary calf; covers scuffed, rebacked, some edges renewed. (64F5A) FIRST EDITION OF "THE FIRST SURVEY OF THE ROADS OF ENGLAND AND WALES" (Chubb). The second issue, with catchword "132" on D1r and without the dedication to Archbishop Gilbert. All published. Ogilby's work was composed of 73 major roads and cross-roads, presented in a continuous strip form. For the first time in England, an atlas was prepared on a uniform scale, at one inch to a mile, based on the statute mile of 1,760 yards to the mile. Villages and mansions along the roads are identified, and in some cases the names of the residents are also given. According to one source, Ogilby claimed that 26,600 miles of roads were surveyed in the course of preparing the atlas, but only about 7,500 were actually depicted in print. "In its comprehensiveness, its incorporation of new devices of computation and delineation, and its opulence of paper, design and decoration, it immediately set a new standard for map-making in England.this volume was an attempt at a scientific study not only of the roads but also the terrain and habitations on either side of the roads" (K.S. Eerde, "John Ogilby and the Taste of his Times," 1976, p. 137). PROVENANCE: The Dukes of Buccleuch (small engraved armorial ticket of Ditton Park on pastedown and shelfmark) REFERENCES: Chubb CI; ESTC R483348; Wing O-168. Seller Inventory # 65ERM0064

Bibliographic Details

Title: Britannia. Volume the First: or an ...

Publisher: London: Printed by the Author at his House in White-Fryers, 1675

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition