Speed, John

The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. London: George Humble, 1627 [but 1631], four parts in one volume, engraved title, royal achievement of James I, printed titles (dated 1631) and woodcut royal arms to parts II-IV and woodcut arms of John Speed, 67 engraved general and county maps, 2 small stains in Cornwall, small rust holes in Essex and Huntingdon (with slight loss)

2 works in one volume, folio (422 x 300mm.), TOGETHER 89 DOUBLE-PAGE ENGRAVED MAPS, contemporary calf gilt with central arabesques on side and coat of arms of the von Bodeck family, binding rebacked and repaired at edges

Nicolai von Bodeck, inscription and arms, sale of Bodeck family library, Danzig, 5 December, 1695; William Morris, Kelmscott House bookplate, his sale in these rooms, 5-10 December 1898, lot 1131, W. Leighton, £6.10s; Emery Walker, manuscript note

STC 23040 and 23043; cf. Skelton 16 & 18; cf. Shirley, British Library T.Spe-1e (1627)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

WILLIAM MORRIS'S COPY. A FINE EXAMPLE OF JOHN SPEED’S GREATEST WORK, WITH A REMARKABLE CONTEMPORARY PROVENANCE. THE FIRST ATLAS OF THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE FIRST WORLD ATLAS COMPILED BY AN ENGLISHMAN.

The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (first published in 1611-1612) dominated the seventeenth-century map market. It was an ambitious publication and represented a considerable investment for the partnership of John Sudbury and George Humble. They turned to Jodocus Hondius, who had worked in London, to engrave the plates from drafts furnished by Speed himself. When Humble planned a companion world atlas, he again looked to Amsterdam craftsmen to engrave the maps.

The atlas's first owner, Nicolai von Bodeck (1611-1676), was born in Danzig and studied in Strassburg, England, and Holland between 1628 and 1632. Visiting London in 1632, he would have most certainly have patronised Sudbury and Humble at their shop in Popes Head alley (they were one of the first print- and book-sellers in the city). Bodeck was an avid book collector, with an interest in maps. Indeed a map by Willem Hondius of eastern Prussia was dedicated to him. The family’s library was dispersed at auction in 1695.

In the nineteenth century the atlas found its way into the collection of William Morris (1834–1896) who in later life acquired books and manuscripts on a large scale, primarily because of his interest in the history of illustration and typography. When he founded the Kelmscott Press in 1891, his fascination with printing led him on to increasingly ambitious purchases for his library.

At the Sotheby’s sale of Morris’s library in 1898 the atlas was bought by Walter Leighton of J. and J. Leighton, booksellers who boasted customers such as William Gladstone, Thomas Carlyle and Michael Faraday. A pencil note under Morris’s bookplate suggests that, in this case, Leighton was acting for Emery Walker, the typographer and antiquary, and a friend and mentor to William Morris.