 |
|
 |
 |
browsing 4487 items
displaying items 3201 to 3300
|  |
 |
Results Page:
(total 45 pages)
|
[<< Prior page]   |
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  
16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  
31  32  33 34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45   |
[>> Next page]   |
|  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
O'SULLIVAN, Timothy (circa 1840-1882), and William BELL
[A set of fifty stereoscopic photographic views, taken on the 1871-1874 expeditions of the Wheeler Survey, with series title on the verso of each mount:] Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian
[Washington]: War Department, Corps of Engineers, [1873-1874]. 50 stereoscopic photographic albumen prints (42 by O'Sullivan, 8 by Bell), on original card mounts (4 x 7 inches), the mounts with the series number, photographer's name and descriptive title on the verso. Modern morocco-backed cloth box.
A rare complete set of this fine series of stereoscopic views from Lieutenant George Wheeler's 1871-74 expedition in the West, one of the first systematic surveys of the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The expedition was a large-scale government topographical and geological survey of the region west of the 100th meridian, including Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Idaho. These photographs, taken by the expedition photographer Timothy O'Sullivan and his interim replacement William Bell, are numbered 1 to 50 on the rear of the mounts, which also bear captions identifying the scenes. The series begins with an image of the starting point for O'Sullivan's photographic work on the expedition, aboard small boats about to ascend the Colorado from Camp Mohave, Arizona, and continues more or less chronologically. The photographic crew set their own pace, on a boat named PICTURE. Included here are photographs of the Grand Canyon, New Mexico pueblos, Zuni villages, Navahos, Apaches, and many beautiful landscapes by these two major American photographers of the west. In 1872 O'Sullivan left the Wheeler survey in order to work for Clarence King's 40th Parallel Exploration, but he returned in 1873 to accompany Wheeler in Arizona, New Mexico, the Sierra Blanca Mountains and Canyon de Chelly. During O'Sullivan's absence a British-born photographer named William Bell served as his replacement. Late in 1873 O'Sullivan did his last work in the west, photographing Shoshone Falls on the Snake River (in southern Idaho). The last seventeen views here, though dated 1874, must be from 1873 since O'Sullivan had by then apparently returned east. This is a complete series of fifty stereoscopic views issued to display and promote the government sponsored topographical survey of the west.
Cf. James D. Horan Timothy O'Sullivan America's Forgotten Photographer (New York, 1966); Kittredge "We are what we see: photography and the Wheeler Survey Party" in Perpetual Mirage. photographic narratives of the desert west (New York, 1996), pp.63-67; cf. D. Wolf The American Space (Middleton, Ct.: 1983); George M. Wheeler Wheeler's Photographic Survey of the American West, 1871-1873 (New York: Dover Publications, 1983).
#18852 $12,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OAKELEY, Richard Banner (mid 19th century)
The Pagoda of Hallibeed, illustrated by fifty-six photographic views, with descriptive letter-press
London: Published by Thomas M'Lean, 1859. Folio (19 1/4 x 12 inches). Letterpress title, 2pp. introduction, and descriptions of plates, errata slip tipped to verso of Introduction. 56 albumen photographs (each approximately 11 x 8 inches), each mounted on card, on guards. Expertly bound to style in brown half morocco incorporating the original pebble-grain cloth-covered boards, original gilt lettered morocco label on upper cover, spine in six compartments with raised bands, the bands highlighted in gilt, lettered in gilt in the second compartment, cream/yellow glazed endpapers, gilt edges.
Limited edition of 25 copies: a very fine copy of this masterpiece amongst early photographically-illustrated works.
In late 1856 on the recommendation of a 'Dr. Neill, of the 1st Madras Light Cavalry' Oakeley set out to photograph the Holysaleswara Temple, a magnificent example of Hindu architecture and sculpture begun during the first half of the 12th century. The journey involved a march of some twenty days, 'along the most miserable cross country roads conceivable' before reaching the temple: 'Having seen a great number of the most celebrated Pagodas in the South of India, I can unhesitatingly assert, it far surpasses any, even the most gorgeous of these beautiful structures.'
'Having a Photographic Apparatus with me, I lost no time in committing to waxed paper faithful representations of almost every portion of the Sculpture.' Despite working under very difficult circumstances and having lost 'a considerable portion' of his photographic equipment on the march to the temple, Oakeley here presents a range of images that demonstrate his consummate skill at composition. The images are all the more remarkable when one considers that these were Oakeley's first attempts 'at Photographing in a hot climate'.
Between 1854 and 1857, four photographers are known to have made the difficult journey to Halebid: Tripe, Pigou, Neil and Richard Banner Oakeley. According to Jane Dewan, "Oakley's series is the most interesting photographically".
Jane Dewan 'The Hoysalesvara Temple of Halebid in Early Photography' History of Photography, Oct.-Dec., 1989, pp.343-354; Gernsheim 104.
#14176 $59,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OGILBY, John (translator and publisher, 1600-1676) - [Arnoldus MONTANUS (1625?-1683)]
America: being the latest, and most accurate description of the New World ... Collected from most authentick authors, augmented with later observations and adorn'd with maps and sculptures, by John Ogilby
London: Printed by the Author, 1671. Folio (16 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches). Ruled in red throughout, title printed in red and black. Engraved frontispiece, 37 plates (6 portraits, 31 views and plans [2 of these folding, 29 double-page]), 19 maps (2 folding, 17 double-page), 66 engraved illustrations. (Portrait facing page 60 expertly remargined, some small neat repairs to margins and folds). Contemporary English paneled calf gilt, covers with paneling tooled with fillets and roll tools, the inner panels with lozenge-shaped stylized floral-spray tools, expertly repaired, the spine in seven compartments with raised bands, green morocco lettering-pieces in the second and third compartments lettered in gilt, edges stained in gilt, modern tan morocco-backed cloth box, lettered in gilt on 'spine'.
A very fine large copy of Ogilby's first edition of this important work, here ruled in red for presentation and including the rare Lords Proprietors map of Carolina.
The binding, the size and the rubrication of this copy of Ogilby's most important publication all suggest that this copy was prepared for presentation. The ruling in red of a book (an essential part of manuscript production in the middle ages) had come to be a costly extra process by the second half of the seventeenth century, and one that was reserved for copies of books that were intended for presentation. The McGill University copy of Francis Willughby's Ornithology (published in 1678) was edited by John Ray and presented by him to Samuel Pepys (probably when he was President of the Royal Society) - it is ruled in red. From the spine labels on the present volume which are lettered `Ogilby's / Atlas / Vol.3. / America' it is clear that this copy formed part of a collection of works published by Ogilby, that were placed under the general title of 'Ogilby's Atlas' by the 18th-century owner and would probably have included his volumes on Africa, Asia, China and Japan.
The present copy is also unusual in that it contains the so-called Lords Proprietors map `A New Discription [sic.] of Carolina By Order of the Lords Proprietors' - a map that was commissioned by Ogilby for this work, but which was not included in the earlier issues of the book as it was apparently not available until, at the earliest, 1672 and possibly as late as 1675. The present copy is the second issue of the first edition and is complete.
Our definition of the first three issues of the first edition is as follows: 1. dated 1671, with both the `Arx Carolina' plate and the `Virginia pars australis...' map, without the `Carolina' map, possibly without the `Barbados' map, and with the plate list including the `Arx..' and `Virginia...', but not the `Carolina' or `Barbados'. 2. dated 1671, with the 'Carolina...' map replacing both the `Arx...' plate and the `Virginia...' map. The `Barbados' map is included, but the plate list still includes the `Arx..' and `Virginia...', but not the `Carolina' or `Barbados'. 3. dated 1671, with the 'Carolina...' map replacing both the `Arx...' plate and the `Virginia...' map. The `Barbados' map is include, and the plate list has been removed and substituted by a reset cancel that no longer includes either the `Arx..' or the `Virginia...', but probably still does not include the `Carolina' or `Barbados'. These definitions are somewhat at variance with Cumming Geographical misconceptions, Baer Maryland and European Americana - but they all contradict each other to some degree as well, and none of them agree with either Sabin or Borba de Moraes.
The work is an English translation of Arnold Montanus De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld, but with a number of additions concerning New England, New France, Maryland and Virginia The work is divided into three books or sections and an appendix: the first gives an overall survey of the most important voyages and expeditions to the Americas, the second book offers a description of Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Bermuda and North America, the third deals with South America and the appendix includes a miscellany of information including notes on the 'Unknown South-Land', the `Arctick Region' and the search for the North-West passage.
Arents 315A; cf. Baer (Md) 70A-C; cf. Borba de Moraes II, 626; Church 613; cf. European Americana 671/204-207; cf. JCB III, 227-228; Sabin 50089; cf. Stokes VI, p.262; K.S. van Eerde John Ogilby and the Tate of His Times p.107; Wing O-165.
References for the Carolina map: Cumming Southeast in Early Maps 70; Degrees of Latitude 13.
#20765 $95,000.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OLDMIXON, John (1673-1742)
The British Empire in America, containing the history of the discovery, settlement, progress and present state of all the British colonies on the continent and islands of America ... With curious maps of several places, done from the newest surveys by Herman Moll, geographer
London: printed for John Nicholson, Benjamin Tooke, Richard Parker & Ralph Smith, 1708. 2 volumes, octavo (7 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches). 8 folding maps by Herman Moll. Contemporary panelled calf (rebacked). Provenance: Earls of Clarendon ("The Grove", Hertfordshire, armorial bookplate); R.H. Isham (armorial bookplate); Frederick Spiegelberg (leather book label).
First edition, with material omitted from the second edition.
Oldmixon's name is signed to the dedication of this first edition only, and Sabin suggests authorship should be attributed to Moll, who produced the maps. In many other respects the editions are different. There is much material on Pennsylvania that is contained in the first and not the second, "apparently derived from personal communication with William Penn" (JCB). The British possessions in North America are described in the first volume, while those in the West Indies are described in the second. The maps depict North America; New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Virginia and Maryland; Carolina; Barbados; St. Christopher's; and Jamaica, among others.
European Americana 708/95; Handler 19; Howes O61; JCB (III)1:117; Kress 2597; Lande 690; cf. Rich p.64 (a later edition); Sabin 57156; TPL 38.
#20394 $9,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OLDMIXON, John (1673-1742)
The British Empire in America, containing the history of the discovery, settlement, progress and present state of all the British colonies on the continent and islands of America ... Second edition, corrected and amended. With the continuation of the history, and the variation in the state and trade of those colonies, from the year 1710 to the present time. Including occasional remarks, and the most feasible and useful methods for their improvement and security
London: printed for J. Brotherton, J. Clarke [and others], 1741. 2 volumes, octavo (7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches). 8 folding maps by Herman Moll. Contemporary speckled calf, covers with double fillet gilt border, spines in six compartments with raised bands, later red morocco label in the second, later dark green label in the third.
The second expanded edition of this fundamental 18th century reference work on British America
This second edition includes the story of William Penn and the Indian princess (as told to the author by Penn), and additions that bring the history of the area down to the date of publication. Oldmixon's name is signed to the dedication of this first edition only, and Sabin suggests authorship should be attributed to Moll, who produced the maps. In many other respects the editions are different. The British possessions in North America are described in the first volume, while those in the West Indies are described in the second. The maps depict North America; New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Virginia and Maryland; Carolina; Barbados; St. Christopher's; and Jamaica, among others.
Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection, 191; European Americana 741/164; Howes O61; Sabin 57157
#20418 $9,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ONKEN, Otto (lithographer, fl.1849-60) and B. OERTLY (cartographer)
Map of Cinncinnati, Covington & Newport.
Cincinnati: Otto Onken, 214 Walnut St., 1852. Hand-coloured lithographed pocket map, folding into black paper boards, in very good condition. Sheet size: 19 3/4 x 29 1/4 inches.
A masterpiece of American lithography, and a beautiful mid-nineteenth-century map of Cincinnati
This striking map represents both an exceptional example of American lithography and one of the finest maps of Cincinnati printed during the period. The map delineates and names every street, and each of the city's sixteen wards are distinguished by their own colours. Thirty-four principal buildings are designated by numbers, and the two main rail lines that serve the city are delineated. The map also embraces the neighboring towns of Covington and Newport, located across the river in Kentucky.
A settlement was established at this location as early as 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson. In 1790, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, renamed the settlement after the Society of the Cincinnati, an honorific order whose members were heroes of the Revolutionary War. By the time that this map was made, Cincinnati was a bustling port on the Ohio River (as indicated by the paddle steamers depicted in the river), and one of the main terminuses of the 'Underground Railroad,' for people seeking freedom from Slavery, as practiced in the Southern states, including Kentucky, located right across the river.
Jay Last, a foremost authority on American lithography notes that "In the 1830s a major publishing industry developed in Cincinnati, and by the 1840s between one and two million books were being published annually. Local paper mills, type foundaries, and ink factories made the industry self sufficient" (Last, p.268). With reference to the esteemed lithographer of the map, Last states "Otto Onken was born in Germany in 1815, came to America, and worked as a lithographer in Cincinnati at a time when the industry there was beginning to develop. In 1851 he lithographed plates for the book Western Scenery, or Land and River, Hill and Dale in the Mississippi Valley. A number of lithographers who went on to form their own companies received their early training from Onken." (Last, p.216)
Cf. Jay Last, The Color Explosion: Nineteenth-Century Color Lithography
#20445 $1,875.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OPIE, After John (1761-1807)
Shakespeare. Second Part of King Henry the Sixth. Act I, Scene IV. Mother Jourdain, Hume, Southwell, Bolingbroke & Eleanor
London: John & Josiah Boydell, 1 December 1796. Stipple engraving, by C.G. Playter, finished by R. Thew. Image size (including text): 17 1/2 x 23 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 20 7/8 x 28 3/4 inches.
A very fine copy of one of the greatest images from Boydell's magnum opus, illustrating the works of England's greatest dramatist.
"This is Shakespeare on a grand scale, the Shakespeare of titanic emotion, of compelling gesture and vivid gaze... the greatest of the engravings... are by any standard powerful works with an inescapable emotional force behind them. They speak directly to us." (A.E.Santaniello. The Boydell Shakespeare Prints New York, 1979).
Opie, a Cornish-born painter of great natural talent, was first brought to wide public attention by William Walcot ('Peter Pindar') and worked for a while in partnership with him. However, by the time the original for the present work was painted he was established in his own right and 'he was largely employed in painting pictures for the important illustrated works of the day. For Boydell's Shakespeare (1786-9) he painted Arthur supplicating Hubert, Juliet on her Bed surrounded by the Capulets, Antigonus sworn to destroy Perdita, and four others. He also painted three pictures for Macklin's Poets, four for Macklin's Bible, and eleven for Robert Bowyer's edition of Hume's History of England. Of these works the most celebrated were Jephtha's Vow (1793), The Presentation in the Temple (1791), Mary of Modena quitting England (now in the town-hall at Devonport), and Elizabeth Grey petitioning Edward IV, painted in 1798.' (DNB).
In 1786, the printseller John Boydell (1719-1804) 'embarked upon the most important enterprise of his life, viz. the publication, by subscription, of a series of prints illustrative of [the works of] Shakespeare, after pictures painted expressly for the work by English artists. For this purpose he gave commissions to all the most celebrated painters of this country for pictures, and built a gallery in Pall Mall for their exhibition. The execution of this project extended over several years. In 1789 the Shakespeare Gallery contained thirty-four pictures, in 1791 sixty-five, in 1802 one hundred and sixty-two, of which eighty-four were of large size. The total number of works executed was 170, three of which were pieces of sculpture, and the artists employed were thirty-three painters and two sculptors, Thomas Banks and the Hon. Mrs. Damer. It appears from the preface to the catalogue of 1789, and from other recorded statements of Boydell, that he wished to do for English painting what he had done for English engraving, to make it respected by foreigners.' (DNB).
Cf. Santaniello, The Boydell Shakespeare Prints; Dictionary of National Biography
#6540 $1,200.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OPIE, John (1761-1807) engraved by John DEAN (1750-1798)
Card Players, with Flush and Pam.
London: Published by J. Dean, Bentnick Street, Soho, May 1, 1786. Mezzotint. Printed on watermarked laid paper. In good condition with a skillfully mended tear along the lower plate mark. Image size: 15 5/16 x 20 7/9 inches. Plate mark: 16 7/8 x 20 7/8 inches. Sheet size: 17 13/16 x 21 7/8 inches.
A charming mezzotint of three children playing cards, engraved by John Dean after John Opie.
John Opie demonstrated a remarkable talent at a young age. He became the protégé of the poet John Wolcot who briefly trained him in the arts of painting and drawing. In 1781 he was introduced to London Society as "The Cornish Wonder," and was hailed as a self-taught genius. Opie was greatly influenced by the "fancy pictures" of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, and his work echoed their idealized vision. Opie was an extremely accomplished portrait painter who enjoyed a long period of success in London. His work remains universally admired for both its beauty and its sincerity. Speaking of Opie, James Northcote observed that where, " Other artists paint to live; Opie lives to paint." This pretty picture of three young card players, skillfully engraved by John Dean, is an eloquent example of Opie's talent. John Dean learned the art of mezzotint from Valentine Green, and exhibited frequently in London between 1777 and 1791.
Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs; Le Blanc, Manuel de L'Amateur D'Estampes 101
#13393 $1,400.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORDE, After Lieutenant Thomas
The situation of His Mtys. Ship Blanche, of 32 Guns & 180 Men, & the French Frigate La Pique, of 40 Guns & 400 Men, at a quarter past 5 o'Clock in the Morning, about a quarter of an hour before the Pique surrendered, having been towed in that way near 3 hours and a half, and having made frequent attempts to board the Blanche without success
London: Published by Js. Bretherton, 1 January 1797. Hand-coloured aquatint by C. Rosenberg after Orde. Sheet size: 15 3/4 x 20 1/8 inches.
The second of a pair of images of the `longest and most determined engagement ever fought' (Parker)
`The Blanche frigate, Captain R. Faulknor, while off Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe, on... [4 January 1795], engaged the French frigate Pique. The fight having lasted an hour, the Pique fouled the Blanche, and the Frenchman made several attempts to board, but each time gallantly repulsed. Then the English sailors lashed the bowsprit of the Pique to the stump of the Blanche's mainmast, and towed her before the wind. To bring more guns into play, part of the stern of the main deck of the Blanche was blown out, but it was not until the action had lasted seven hours... that the Pique surrendered.' (Parker p.111)
Cf. Parker 105b (pair of prints)
#3522 $2,000.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORDE, Thomas
[Portrait of George Stubbs]
circa 1775. Drypoint by James Bretherton after. Sheet size: 7 5/8 x 5 1/2 inches.
Inscription: "Mr. Orde f.*** A Sketch ***Bretherton/---Quae cur[a] nitentes/Pingere equ[i]---." A fine character study of Stubbs aged about 50. The artist is shown, half-length in profile, seated at an easel, intent on an unseen subject. His left arm is raised, brush in hand, before a canvas with the outline of a prancing horse visible. His palette rests on his right fore-arm. He is wearing a frock coat and knee breeches.
According to the DNB, Thomas Orde (afterwards Orde-Powlett) first Baron Bolton, was "educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge...While at Cambridge, he studied the art of etching, and showed great skill 'in taking off any peculiarity of person.' This was a dangerous gift, but he never portrayed any one likely to become an object of ridicule. Three portraits by him in 1768 of D. Randall, fruit-seller at Cambridge, and of Mother Hammond, are described in Wordsworth's University Life in the Eighteenth Century (pp. 453-4). The particulars of his etching in the same year of a very stout man, and in 1769 of William Lynch, an old seller of pamphlets, are set out in the Catalogue of Satirical Prints at the British Museum....The names of the performers in the 'Cambridge concert,' which is usually attributed to him, are given in the Catalogue of Satirical Prints ; but, according to Hawkins, the design was by Orde, and the etching by Sir Abraham Hume. He also etched his father, mother, and younger brother, and drew a pen-and-ink sketch of Voltaire acting in one of his own tragedies. To the Account of King's College Chapel, 1769, which bears the name of Henry Malden, chapter clerk, is prefixed his portrait by Orde. The profits from the sale of these etchings were given by him to the characters whom he drew." Orde went on to pursue a highly successful career in politics, rising to be chief secretary to the Duke of Rutland during his time as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and a member of the privy council in Ireland.
"Orde married at Marylebone, on 7 April 1778, Jean Mary Browne Powlett, natural daughter of Charles, fifth duke of Bolton, by Mary Browne Banks, on whom...the greater part of the extensive estates were entailed. On the death of the sixth duke.. the property passed to Orde in right of his wife, and by royal license he assumed, on 7 Jan. 1795, the additional surname of Powlett. On 20 Oct. 1797 he was created Baron Bolton of Bolton Castle, Yorkshire, in the peerage of Great Britain. In 1791 he was appointed Governor and Vice-Admiral of the Isle of Wight, and in 1800 he was created lord-lieutenant of Hampshire. He was also a lord of trade and plantations, receiver-general of the duchy-court of Lancaster, and registrar, examiner, and first clerk of the county palatine of Lancaster" (DNB).
Lennox-Boyd, p.379; Nagler II, p.139.
#4136 $1,200.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORDNANCE SURVEY, Great Britain
[England & Wales] New Popular Edition One Inch Maps of England & Wales
Chessington or Southampton: published by the Director General at the Ordnance Survey Office, 1940-1948. 111 (of 115) maps, numbered 64, 71, 75-78, 82-86, 88-114; 116-141, 142-153; 154-156, 157-190, each printed in colours, folded, in sections backed onto cloth (each 28 1/4 x 31 3/4 inches,) within original orange and black printed thin card wrappers. Maps in very fine condition. All contained within three compartmentalised light brown calf carrying cases (9 x 5 1/2 x 17 inches,) each case with dark brown morocco-grained cloth lining, a pair of metal locks, a carrying handle to the lid, and blind-tooled lettering ('E.H.L.S.'; 'ENGLAND & WALES' and the numbers of the maps contained within each of the three compartments). Cases in very fine condition. Provenance: Eric Sexton ('E.H.L.S.' initials on each carrying case).
A very fine near-complete set of this important series, covering the whole of England and Wales: here in its most expensive form and beautifully preserved in a fine series of three contemporary leather carrying cases
The complete series of the 'New Popular Edition' of the 'One-inch' maps for England and Wales starts with number 64 but then jumps to 71, then 75-78, and then should run continuously from 82 onwards to 190. The present set is therefore missing number 87 (of the Isle of Man), and 115 (the tip of north Wales), 142 (Hereford and its environs) and 157 (an area to the east of Bristol including much of the Cotswolds). The maps were sold individually in five forms of which the present is the most expensive: 'dissected 5/-' (giving a total for this set of £27.15s). The others were 'Paper, flat 2/-, folded 2/3; Mounted folded 3/- ...; Ouline Edition (flat and unmounted) 2/-'
These maps are an important historical record which supply a wealth of information about post-war England and Wales, with symbols locating parish, county and national boundaries, woods, public parks, orchards, ornamental grounds, glasshouses, National Trust land, quarries, gravel pits, marshland, rivers, canals, lakes, weirs, bridges, fords, sand and mud, cliffs, height contour lines, roads and tracks (of 6 different classes), bridle paths and footpaths, youth hostels, post offices, 'telephone kiosks', churches, battle sites, aerial masts, windmills, windpumps, lighthouses, lightships.
Perhaps most interesting of all: the entire railway system of England and Wales when it was at its most extensive is recorded in detail. All the lines are marked, as are the principal stations, smaller stations, stations that had been closed, level crossings, viaducts, bridges, tunnels, embankments, foot bridges, sidings and tramways. A fascinating record of a system of main and branch lines that reached virtually every corner of England and Wales, but was to be decimated only twenty years later.
#19265 $1,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORME, Daniel after George MORLAND
Morning or the Higlers Preparing for Market
London: circa 1795. Colour printed stipple engraving with additional hand-colouring. In good condition with the exception of some small expert repairs. Lower margin repaired with loss of imprint. Image size: 16 3/4 x 22 5/8 inches. Sheet size: 18 7/8 x 24 1/4 inches.
A fine image after Morland: 'a master of genre and animal painting, an artist worthy to be placed in the same rank as the best of those Dutch masters whom he studied as a boy' (DNB)
George Morland was one of the most successful genre painters of his time, creating, during his industrious career, some of England's most cherished paintings. At an early age Morland displayed his artistic genius, he learned to paint at three and exhibited his first work at the Royal Academy at the mere age of ten. Morland was a prodigious painter, producing more than 4000 paintings during the entirety of his career, and sometimes painting two or three works in a day. His beautiful idealistic scenes were a favorite source of inspiration for contemporary engravers, and as many as 250 separate engravings were done of his paintings during his lifetime.
This print expertly demonstrates why Morland is considered a master of English genre painting. In its depiction of a poor country family gathered around the father as he prepares to leave for market, the simplicity and beauty of rural life is immediately conveyed to the viewer, and the mastery of the artist becomes a joy to behold.
#6628 $2,250.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORME, Edward (publisher) - After Samuel HOWITT (1756-1822)
Fox Hunting. La Chasse au Renard
London: Edward Orme, 1 December 1807. Aquatint engraving, coloured by hand, by Thomas Vivares and Henri Merke. Image size (including text): 11 11/16 x 16 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 17 5/8 x 23 1/4 inches.
A fine image from 'Orme's Collection of British Field Sports': "the finest and most important sporting book of the last two centuries" (Schwerdt)
Samuel Howitt, "genius, artist, sportsman", concentrated his considerable artistic talents on picturing scenes of horse-racing and hunting in all its aspects. Born in Nottinghamshire, England, Howitt was largely self-taught ,"although he must have been helped by his companions George Morland, Rowlandson and John Raphael Smith. Howitt's watercolours of hunting, shooting and racing have delightful spontaneity. An enthusiastic sportsman himself, he had sufficient family money to paint at first only for his own and his friends pleasure. However, this fortune was quickly dissipated and Howitt moved to London... [He made a living], partly by etching at which he was extremely skilled. As an artist he was prolific. more than 150 of his designs were published in The Sporting Magazine. He illustrated Beckford's Thoughts on Hunting, and other books, including Orme's Collection of British Field Sports... The light touch of his pen, the delicacy of his brushwork and his experience of field sports ensured all that he drew was animated and accurate." (Charles Lane British Racing Prints pp.132-133).
Cf. Abbey Scenery 14; Lane British Sporting Prints p.133; Mellon British Sporting and Animal Drawings p.106; Siltzer p.164; cf. Schwerdt II, p.53; Siltzer p.164; cf.Tooley 273.
#5243 $3,250.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORME, Edward (publisher) - After Samuel HOWITT (1756-1822)
Horse Racing. La Course de Chevaux
London: Edward Orme, 1 January 1807. Aquatint engraving, coloured by hand, by James Godby and Henri Merke (watermark: 'J. Whatman 1805'). Image size (including text): 12 x 17 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 17 1/2 x 22 1/8 inches.
A fine image from 'Orme's Collection of British Field Sports': "the finest and most important sporting book of the last two centuries" (Schwerdt)
Samuel Howitt, "genius, artist, sportsman", concentrated his considerable artistic talents on picturing scenes of horse-racing and hunting in all its aspects. Born in Nottinghamshire, England, Howitt was largely self-taught ,"although he must have been helped by his companions George Morland, Rowlandson and John Raphael Smith. Howitt's watercolours of hunting, shooting and racing have delightful spontaneity. An enthusiastic sportsman himself, he had sufficient family money to paint at first only for his own and his friends pleasure. However, this fortune was quickly dissipated and Howitt moved to London... [He made a living], partly by etching at which he was extremely skilled. As an artist he was prolific, more than 150 of his designs were published in The Sporting Magazine. He illustrated Beckford's Thoughts on Hunting, and other books, including Orme's Collection of British Field Sports... The light touch of his pen, the delicacy of his brushwork and his experience of field sports ensured all that he drew was animated and accurate." (Charles Lane British Racing Prints pp.132-133).
Cf. Abbey Scenery 14; Lane British Sporting Prints p.133; Mellon British Sporting and Animal Drawings p.106; Siltzer p.164; cf. Schwerdt II, p.53; Siltzer p.164; cf.Tooley 273.
#5244 $3,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORME, Edward (publisher). - Samuel HOWITT (?1765-1822)
Orme's Collection of British Field Sports
London: Edward Orme, 1807-1808 [pre-publication watermarks:1804-1806]. 1 volume, bound from the 10 original parts, oblong folio (17 11/16 x 22 inches). Hand-coloured aquatint title by James Godby and Henri Merke after W.M. Craig, letterpress contents leaf with hand-coloured aquatint vignette by J. Swain after Howitt, 20 hand-coloured aquatint plates (titled in English and French) by Godby, Merke, Craig, Clark, Vivares after Howitt (plate 2 with letterpress overslip "RACING" pasted over caption "RACEING"; plate 9 with overslip "COURSING 1" pasted over "COURSEING 1"). (Some unobtrusive expert marginal repairs). Modern dark blue straight-grained morocco gilt, spine with decorative roll-tool border, spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt in the second compartment, the others with repeat decoration in gilt, original upper wrappers to all 10 parts bound in.
A fine copy of this "magnificent work, the most valuable English colour plate book on sport" (Tooley)
Schwerdt also waxes lyrical calling this work "the finest and most important sporting book of the last two centuries". He was writing in 1928, but goes on to note that even then this work was "very rare" and records a copy in nine (of ten) original wrappers which sold for £2,600 at auction in London (to put this price into perspective, Scribner's offered a complete set of Audubon's Birds of America for sale for $12,000 [or about £2,400] in 1929). There is some disagreement about the number of original parts that were issued: both Schwerdt and Tooley mention 9 whilst Abbey calls for 10 and 10 upper wrappers are included in the present example.
The plates are from drawings by Samuel Howitt, "genius, artist, sportsman" who concentrated his considerable artistic talents on picturing scenes of horse-racing and hunting in all its aspects. Born in Nottinghamshire, England, Howitt was largely self-taught,"although he must have been helped by his companions George Morland, Thomas Rowlandson and John Raphael Smith. Howitt's watercolours of hunting, shooting and racing have delightful spontaneity. An enthusiastic sportsman himself, he had sufficient family money to paint at first only for his own and his friends pleasure. However, this fortune was quickly dissipated and Howitt moved to London... [He made a living], partly by etching at which he was extremely skilled ... He illustrated Beckford's Thoughts on Hunting, and other books, including Orme's Collection of British Field Sports... The light touch of his pen, the delicacy of his brushwork and his experience of field sports ensured all that he drew was animated and accurate." (Charles Lane British Racing Prints pp.132-133).
Abbey Scenery 14; Mellon/Podeschi 86; Prideaux p.281 ("an important work"); Schwerdt II, p.53; Tooley 273
#19312 $60,000.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORME, William
Newport Castle, Monmouthshire
London: Published by Orme, 1806. Hand-coloured aquatint engraving, printed on wove paper. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling and minor foxing in the top margin. Image size (including text): 13 1/8 x 17 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 16 x 21 1/2 inches.
A picturesque view of the remains of the historic Newport Castle on the banks of the River Usk in southeast Wales. The medieval sandstone castle was most likely erected by Hugh d'Audele in 1327-1386 and underwent extensive renovation during the fifteenth century at the behest of Humphrey Stafford, first duke of Buckingham. This stunning plate pictures the castle's two octagonal towers flanking the prominent central tower with its built-in water gate or dock just visible at its base.
William Orme was a talented landscape painter, who exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1797 and 1819. He contributed several plates to topographical publications including J. Walker's The Itinerant (1799) and Francis William Blagdon's A Brief History of Ancient and Modern India (1806).
Cf. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, vol. 10, p. 408.
#13469 $1,200.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORTELIUS, Abraham (1527-1598)
[The World and Continents - Five Maps] Typus Orbis Terrarum; Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio; Asiae Nova Descriptio; Africae Tabula Nova; Europae
Antwerp: C. Plantin, 1573, Latin edition. Sheet size: each 17 x 21 3/4 inches.
A set of five highly important and beautifully coloured maps form Ortelius's third Latin edition
From its initial publication in 1570, Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, epitomised the highest standards of production, becoming the inspiration for atlases for the next two centuries. The strong aesthetic appeal, consistent size and the assiduous study of sources became the hallmarks of Ortelius maps.
Typus Orbis Terrarum uses the ovoid projection so effectively employed by Gastaldi, translating Mercator's iconic 1569 wall map into folio proportions. The title is given in large letters above, and below the image appears the profound Stoic philosophical quotation from Cicero: "What do human affairs signify when one considers the vastness of the world and all eternity?"
One of the most celebrated maps of the New World, Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio also employs an ovoid projection, but of different proportions to the World map. Framed by elegant mannerist margins, the hemisphere's curvaceous form lends a sense of movement to the globe. A cartouche adorned with sphinxes and grotesques completes this highly virtuous composition.
Asiae Nova Descriptio is the atlas version of Ortelius' own wall map of Asia, published in 1567, derived from Gastaldi and Albufeda.
Africae Tabula Nova is based on the Gastaldi wall map of 1564. It is decorated with a naval battle southeast of Madagascar and several sea monsters in the Atlantic. The depiction of the far eastern coast of Brazil, shown as being well below the Equator, differs significantly from the World and America maps.
Europae derives in large part from Mercator's work; which in turn derived its coverage of Russia from Jenkinson's map, and Scandinavia from Olaus Magnus.
Koeman, Ort. 3; Shirley, Mapping of the World, (2001 ed.) #122; van den Broecke, 1,4,6,8,9; Burden, 39.
#12268 $32,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORTELIUS, Abraham (1527-1598)
Europae
Antwerp: Ortelius, [1595]. Copper-engraved map, with full original colour, Latin text on verso of one half of the sheet, in excellent condition, apart from a small expert repair to the left blank margin, and a small section of the upper blank margin torn away. Sheet size: 21 1/4 x 17 1/4 inches.
A superb map of Europe by one of the greatest names in the history of cartography
This important map of Europe derives in large part from Mercator's own work; Russia from Jenkinson's map; Scandinavia from Olaus Magnus. The relatively modest cartouche shows a partially covered and apparently distraught Europa sitting on the back of Zeus in the form of a placid bull (and unwelcome lover of Europa), both gazing toward Europe, curious about its future. Published in a Latin edition of Ortelius' s ground-breaking atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.
van den Broecke, Ortelius Atlas Maps, 5
#17860 $2,750.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
ORTELIUS, Abraham (1527-1598)
Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio
Antwerp: Ortelius, '1587' [ but 1595]. Copper engraving with period hand colouring. Latin text on verso of one half of the sheet. In generally excellent condition. Sheet size: 17 1/4 x 21 1/2 inches.
The Ortelius map of the New World with the amended coast of Chile, from the Latin edition of his 'Theatrum'
Among the most beautiful of Dutch maps, this is a superb example of the Ortelius aesthetic with its marginal floral ornamentation, strapwork cartouches, masks, sphinxes, ships and sea monsters, all of which collectively transform the geographical facts and conjectures into an evocative work of art. This example from the 1595 Latin edition has beautiful period colour.
The map is a depiction of European knowledge and ignorance of the New World after a century of immense acitivity. There are settlements, mostly Spanish, all over northwestern South America, Central America, the Caribbean and southern North America. The relatively accurate transfer of geographical information is impressive as well, when one considers the enormity of the task.
Burden, 64 (state 1); Karrow 1/7a; Koeman/Meurer (1991) 114; van den Broecke, 11. Literature: D. Reinhartz 'The Americas Revealed in the Theatrum' pp.209-220 in Van den Broecke, and others (editors) Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas (1998).
#20763 $9,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OVERTON, Henry (publisher)
The Siege and Taking of Quebeck [sic.] with a View of the Glorious Battle before the Town
[London]: sold by H. Overton, [N.d. but 1759]. Engraved plate, with touches of hand-colouring, with title above the image and 15 lines of engraved text beneath. Good condition apart from some neat repairs to old folds, some light soiling to margins. Sheet size: 18 3/4 x 23 inches.
A very rare contemporary broadside account and depiction of the siege and capture of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The view purports to picture many of the incidents which are mentioned in the eye-witness testimony contained in the 15 lines of engraved text printed below. The testimony is taken from letters from General Robert Monckton (1726-1782) to William Pitt (dated 15 September 1759) and a second from Vice Admiral Sir Charles Saunders (1713-1775) to Pitt dated 20 September. The text describes the events of 13 September 1759: giving some details of the nocturnal attack led by Wolfe, whilst also mentioning the death of Wolfe and Montcalm and the injury that Monckton sustained.
"Early in 1759, General James Wolfe chose Monckton to be his second in command for the assault on Quebec. Monckton's role in the siege and later the capture of Quebec was considerable. Monckton established control of the south shore of the St. Lawrence River facing Quebec and was placed in charge of the artillery batteries trained on Quebec from Levis. Monckton later led an unsuccessful attack on the Beauport shore, at the foot of Quebec, on July 31st.
As the siege wore on, General Wolfe sought opinions from his subordinates as to how to conduct the battle plan. Monckton was one of three senior officers that advocated a stealthy approach from upriver rather than another frontal assault on the Beauport shore. This plan was agreed to and it was Monckton who commanded the crucial landing at Anse au Foulon on September 13th which allowed the British to gain access to the Plains of Abraham ... The French encampment was quickly overrun ... The Plains of Abraham were quickly gained and the British forces marshalled into fighting ranks. The French commander of Quebec, Louis Joseph de Montcalm inexplicably decided to directly engage the British forces on the field. In the ensuing battle, Monckton commanded the British right flank and was wounded in the chest. This prevented him from being present at the surrender of Quebec and, with Wolfe's death during the battle, it was Brigadier George Townsend that received the French capitulation. Monckton resented this and endeavoured to recover as quickly as he could from his wound so that he could reassume command of the defeated city. He commanded Quebec for a month following the capitulation, showing concern for the conquered civilian population and punishing British soldiers found to be taking advantage of the situation.
National Archives of Canada C-77769 ; A. G. Doughty The Siege of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1901), illustration (from an engraving in the possession of H. T. Machin of Quebec) in vol.II.
#20132 $15,000.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
OWEN, William (1769-1825)
The Road Side. From an original Picture in the Collection of Thos. Lister Parker Esqr.
London: W. Say, 12 May 1808. Mezzotint, printed in colours, with touches of hand-colouring, by William Say (cut to plate mark and expertly re-margined to top and sides). Image size (including text): 18 x 14 inches. Sheet size: 19 1/2 x 14 inches. Gold leaf frame.
A beautiful composition expertly rendered by one of the greatest mezzotinters of his time.
William Owen "was sent in 1786 to London, where he became a pupil of Charles Catton, R.A., the coach-painter. Soon afterwards he attracted the notice of Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose picture of Perdita he had copied, and he was indebted to Reynolds for some valuable advice. He entered the Royal Academy as a student in 1791, and his earliest exhibited works... appeared in the exhibition of 1792; and in each succeeding year, except 1823, he contributed portraits and occasional rustic subjects. Some of the most eminent men of the day were among his sitters, and his portraits were truthful and characteristic...Owen was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1804, and an academician in 1806... In 1810 he was appointed portrait-painter to the Prince of Wales, and in 1813 principal portrait-painter to the prince-regent, who offered him the honour of knighthood, which he declined.."(DNB).
William Say (1768-1834) came to London at about twenty years old "and obtained instruction from James Ward (1769-1859), who was then practising mezzotint engraving. Say became an able and extremely industrious engraver, working entirely in mezzotint, and between 1801 and 1834 executed no fewer than 335 plates, a large proportion of which are portraits of contemporary celebrities, from pictures by Beechey, Hoppner, Lawrence, Northcote, Reynolds, and others... Say was one of the engravers employed by Turner upon his Liber Studiorum, for which he executed eleven of the published and two of the unpublished plates... In 1807 he was appointed engraver to the Duke of Gloucester....An almost complete set of Say's works, in various states, was presented to the British Museum by his son in 1852' (DNB)
#6586 $2,400.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
PADDY, After R.
Dudley Castle... Le Chateau de Dudley
Wolverhampton & London: R.Paddy and F.Jukes, 10 September 1793. Aquatint, printed in colours and finished by hand, by Francis Jukes, with engraved title and explanatory text beneath image in English and French. Image size (including text): 16 5/8 x 23 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 21 7/8 x 32 5/16 inches.
A very fine pastoral scene and an excellent example of the picturesque, beautifully printed in colours and finished by hand
The text beneath the image reads: "Dudley Castle is said to have been built by one Dodo, or Dudo, a Saxon, about the year 700; so that its present appellation of Dudley is a corruption of his name. This Castle stands on the summit of a Rockey [sic.] Hill, whose sides are beautifully wooded. It commands a most extensive prospect over five Counties, and into Part of Wales. It belongs to Lord Ward, whose Father was by King George the 3d.... created Viscount Dudley and Ward of Dudley."
The view shows the castle on a fine summer day. The picturesque ruin of the castle contrasts neatly with liveliness of the scene in the foreground. The hay has been cut and dried and is now being gathered in. The estate manager, or perhaps Viscount Dudley himself, has come, with two ladies, to see how the harvest is progressing. He sits astride his horse deep in conversation with an overseer, whilst one of the two ladies offers a tip to one of the workers. Behind them male and female workers toil in the sun trying to appear as busy as possible whilst still keeping an eye on the 'master'.
#5591 $2,400.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
PALAIRET, Jean (1697-1774) and Thomas KITCHIN (1718-1784)
[North America] Carte des Possessions Angloises & Françoises du Continent de L'Amérique Septentrionale
London: Nourse, Vaillant, Millar, Rocque & Sayer, 1755. Copper-engraved map by Thomas Kitchin, with full original colour, with contemporary manuscript additions, lower centerfold strengthened outside of image area, in very good condition. Sheet size: 21 5/8 x 29 1/8 inches.
The most celebrated map from Palairet's 'Atlas méthodique,' and an important map depicting North America on the eve of the Seven Years War
This is Palairet's most important map, a fascinating and artistically virtuous depiction of the political situation as it existed at the beginning of the Seven Years War (1756-63). The map is colour-coded, as defined by the "Explication" in the lower right, and depicts the extreme British claims to territory. Britain is shown to possess all of the eastern seaboard north of Spanish Florida up to the south bank of the St. Lawrence River - which in reality lay at the heart of New France. Southern Ontario and the region between the Appalachians and the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers was shown to be disputed territory between Britain and France. French Louisiana comprises the land west of the rivers and the areas around the Mississippi Delta. The map is adorned with latitudinal lines marking several boundaries as defined by various treaties and royal land grants, such as Charles II's fanciful 1661 proclamation granting Carolina a strip of land extending all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Curiously, Palairet coloured New Jersey in a special hue, and depicted its boundaries as extending north beyond its parameters as later established by Bernard Ratzer's 1769 survey. This map is closely based on John Mitchell's immensely influential A Map of the British Colonies in North America, published earlier the same year. The present map was engraved by Thomas Kitchin, one of London's most esteemed engravers and cartographers.
Importantly, this copy features contemporary manuscript editions in red ink that seem to highlight a 'line of control' in the northeast, and that reflect French advances following victories by the Marquis de Montcalm in the first two years of the war. Numerous French forts are also circled, perhaps suggesting that this map was marked up by a British subject concerned about the threat posed by Gallic forces. The map is complemented by an extremely attractive cartouche of a rococo style.
Jean Palairet was born in Montauban, France, but emigrated to England where he became a French tutor to the children of George II. He later wrote several informative books on arithmetic, language, arts and sciences, and geography. The present map is from the second edition of Palairet's greatest work, the Atlas méthodique, a magnificent cartographical demonstration, in which landmasses are shown in various stages of political definition.
McCorkle, New England in Early Printed Maps, 755.22; Phillips, Atlases in the Library of Congress, 3503, map 14; Sellers & Van Ee, Maps & Charts of North America & West Indies, 56; Stevens & Tree, 'Comparative Cartography', 18(b), in Tooley, Mapping of America
#19713 $4,750.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
PALAIRET, Jean (1697-1774)
[World] 3e Mappe-Monde
London: Nourse, Vaillant, Millar, Rocque & Sayer, 1755. Copper-engraved map, with full original colour, repaired area in blank space in lower left of image, lower centerfold strengthened, otherwise in very good condition. Sheet size: 21 5/8 x 29 1/3 inches.
A highly decorative map, depicting the World shortly before the great era of Pacific voyages
This fascinating and attractive map showcases the world in twin hemispheres. While the general outlines of most regions are familiar to the modern observer, one will notice that vast realms of the Pacific still remained a mystery to the European consciousness. This is especially evident with reference to eastern Australia, which is shown to be connected to New Guinea and the "Terre du S. Esprit" by the "Côtes conjecturées." New Zealand is only partially delineated, having not been visited since Abel Tasman's landing in 1642. The Pacific coast of North America remains a complete enigma north of "Nle. Albion" (California). The Pacific Ocean is traversed with the normal routes of the Spanish galleons that ran between Acapulco and Manila. The map also features the track of Admiral Anson's epic circumnavigation of the world in 1740. The tropics in the Western Hemisphere are divided in the climatic zones, while the northern temperate regions are similarly divided in the Eastern Hemisphere. The map is gracefully adorned with a magnificent title cartouche of a rococo style that rests between the twin hemispheres.
Jean Palairet was born in Montauban, France, but emigrated to England where he became a French tutor to the children of George II. He later wrote several informative books on arithmetic, language, arts and sciences, and geography. The present map is from the second edition of Palairet's greatest work, the Atlas méthodique, a magnificent cartographical demonstration, in which landmasses are shown in various stages of political definition.
Phillips, Atlases in the Library of Congress, 3503, map 3
#20099 $2,400.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
PALAIRET, Jean (1697-1774)
[Americas] Carte Générale de L'Amérique
London: Nourse, Vaillant, Millar, Rocque & Sayer, 1754. Copper-engraved map, with full original colour, in very good condition. Sheet size: 29 5/8 x 29 1/3 inches.
A highly decorative map of the Americas, evincing Palairet's uniquely elegant aesthetic style
This artistically virtuous map embraces the entirety of North and South America, and also takes in the western extremities of Europe and Africa. South America is very well defined, and is divided into the various Spanish domains and Portuguese Brazil. North America is depicted on the eve of the Seven Years War. The English colonies running from Georgia up to Nova Scotia hug the Atlantic seaboard, while the massive French empire consisting of Canada and Louisiana extends through the heart of the continent. Quebec City, the capital of New France, is noted on the map. In the west, California is correctly shown to be a peninsula, while the Pacific Northwest is shown to be an enigma. Mexico and the numerous islands of the Caribbean are also portrayed. The map is adorned with a highly elegant title cartouche of a rococo style.
Jean Palairet was born in Montauban, France, but emigrated to England where he became a French tutor to the children of George II. He later wrote several informative books on arithmetic, language, arts and sciences, and geography. The present map is from the second edition of Palairet's greatest work, the Atlas méthodique, a magnificent cartographical demonstration, in which landmasses are shown in various stages of political definition.
Phillips, Atlases in the Library of Congress, 3503, map 12
#20100 $1,500.00  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
PALAIRET, Jean (1697-1774)
[North America] Carte de L'Amérique Septentrionale
London: Nourse, Vaillant, Millar, Rocque & Sayer, 1755. Copper-engraved map, with full original colour, lower centerfold strengthened outside of image area, in very good condition. Sheet size: 21 5/8 x 29 3/8 inches.
A highly attractive map of North America, shown on the eve of the Seven Years War
This very fine map, with its magnificent original colouring evinces a unique aesthetic quality that was the signature of Palairet. It captures the continent the year before war broke out between Britain and the allied forces of France and Spain. The map embraces the New World from the Spanish Main in the south up to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic in the north. The political realities as expressed in this map would shortly be completely transformed by the ultimate British victory. Britain's colonies from Georgia up to Nova Scotia hug the Atlantic seaboard, and are coloured in yellow and orange hues. Territories belonging to Britain's rivals, such as New France ("Canada"), Louisiana, and Spanish Mexico and Florida are coloured in green. Disputed territory, the possession of which was one of the main issues that sparked the war, is coloured in pink. The map shows that the continent west of the Mississippi and north of Mexico was largely a mystery to Europeans. The fact that they had scarcely visited let alone occupied these western lands did not stop the British from adding strips of land extending from the Pacific to the existing colonies, as demarcated by lines on this map. Palairet based this map on John Mitchell's immensely influential A Map of the British Colonies in North America, published earlier the same year. California is correctly shown to be a peninsula and the various provinces of New Spain and the islands of the Caribbean chain are all carefully labeled. The composition is completed by a magnificent title cartouche of a rococo style.
Jean Palairet was born in Montauban, France, but emigrated to England where he became a French tutor to the children of George II. He later wrote several informative books on arithmetic, language, arts and sciences, and geography. The present map is from the second edition of Palairet's greatest work, the Atlas méthodique, a magnificent cartographical demonstration, in which landmasses are shown in various stages of political definition.
Phillips, Atlases in the Library of Congress, 3503, map 13; Sellers & Van Ee, Maps & Charts of North America & West Indies, 16
#20101 | | | |