Lot 67
  • 67

SPEED. THE THEATRE OF THE EMPIRE OF GREAT BRITAIN & PROSPECT. 1676

Estimate
75,000 - 90,000 GBP
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Description

  • The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain, Presenting an Exact Geography of the Kingdom of England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isles adjoyning... A Prospect of the most Famous Parts of the World... With many Additions never before Extant. London: Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, 1676
Folio (440 x 308mm.), engraved title and achievement of Charles II, additional title printed in red & black, dedications to the Lord Mayor of London, King James and "the Well-Affected and Favourable Reader", contents and sectional titles, 68 engraved general and county maps, 5 printed road tables, the Prospect with 28 maps of all parts of the world (including the double-hemisphere map of the world), TOGETHER 96 ENGRAVED MAPS IN HAND COLOUR, title, achievement, and woodcut initials throughout also hand-coloured, near contemporary mottled calf with central blind-stamped panel, preserved in a clamshell box, short tears mostly at lower folds, minor offsetting, repairs and strengthening on verso, minor browning, map of Spain shaved to neatline, binding lightly rubbed and scuffed, neatly rebacked and recornered

Literature

Chubb XXVII; Shirley, British Library T.Spe-1j; Skelton 92; Wing S4886

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, 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."

Catalogue Note

A FINE COPY OF THE BEST EDITION OF JOHN SPEED’S FAMOUS ATLAS. John Speed (1551/2-1629) claimed his fame as a cartographer with the production of two atlases, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (first published in 1612), and the Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World (produced in 1627). While the Theatre started exclusively as a county atlas it evolved into a world atlas with the inclusion of the Prospect in 1627. The present posthumous edition is recognised as the best, published by Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, and with significant maps added for the first time.

The Theatre is a landmark in the history of British topography. It was the first English attempt to produce a grand scale atlas, with the first detailed maps of the provinces of Ireland, the first set of county maps attempting to show territorial divisions, and the first comprehensive set of English town plans. This edition of the Prospect includes eight maps (on seven mapsheets) appearing for the first time: Virginia and Maryland, New England, Carolina, Jamaica and Barbados, East India, Russia and Canaan.

“Speed’s world map ... was widely reprinted as part of an atlas. Accompanying text is printed on the reverse. Its circulation was not however international in the same sense as the multi-lingual atlases of Mercator-Hondius, Jansson, or Blaeu and copies of the Prospect are relatively infrequently found outside the UK.  In consequence, demand for the world map – long recognised as a very desirable collector’s item – has enhanced its rarity value“(Shirley).