Camden | Britannia, 1607

CAMDEN, WILLIAM

Britannia. London: George Bishop and John Norton, 1607

FIRST EDITION, folio (330 x 220mm.), engraved additional title and 57 maps by William Kip and William Hole after John Norden, Christopher Saxton and George Owen, most double-page, 8 full-page engraved illustrations of coins, woodcut illustrations in text, contemporary vellum with blind-stamped arms in black on upper cover, lacking last 4 leaves (5V^1-4), leaf X³ misbound (but present), leaf 4H¹ with signature corrected in manuscript, L², L⁴ and map of Staffordshire browned, map of Denbigh with paper flaw just touching engraved area, binding somewhat soiled

A GOOD COPY IN A CONTEMPORARY ARMORIAL BINDING OF THE FIRST EDITION OF CAMDEN'S BRITANNIA TO BE PUBLISHED WITH MAPS. From the library of George-Barthold Pontanus of Braitenburg (d.1616), a theologian and poet, who was made Poet Laureate to Rudolf II in 1588, and later made canon and prevost of Prague cathedral.

LITERATURE:

Skelton 5

PROVENANCE:

George-Barthold Pontanus of Braitenburg, arms on upper cover; Ferdinand Blümm (1768-1823, classical philologist), signature; ?Robert Duighiar, Sept 29 1856, inscription; "Eastham", old stamp