Original hand colored copper engraving. View of Cornhill, the Royal Exchange, etc., with St. Paul's away to the west in the distance. Cornhill is busy with horse-drawn and pedestrian traffic. The title in English and French is engraved under the picture.

Original antique copper engraving, uncolored. The depiction shows the city of London during the great fire of 1666. Banner with explanations from 1-20 below. Matthäus Merian the Elder (born September 22, 1593 in Basel; † June 19, 1650 in Langenschwalbach) was a Swiss-German engraver and publisher from the elegant Merian family in Basel. He published numerous maps, cityscapes and chronicles. His main work is the Topographia Germaniae.Matthäus Merian was born as the son of Sägmüller and councilor Walther Merian. After attending grammar school, he learned drawing, engraving and etching from the Zurich copper engraver Friedrich Meyer. From 1610 to 1615 he studied and worked in Strasbourg (with Friedrich Brentel), Nancy and Paris (with Jacques Callot). His large Basel city map was created in Basel in 1615. After traveling through Augsburg, Stuttgart and the Netherlands, Merian came to Frankfurt am Main and Oppenheim in 1616, where he worked for the publisher and engraver Johann Theodor de Bry; de Bry owned an engraving shop in Oppenheim and a publishing house in Frankfurt, in which large travel books on the Far Eastern countries were prepared at that time. In 1617 Merian married Maria Magdalena de Bry, the daughter of his employer. During this time he also worked for the engraver and publisher Eberhard Kieser. In 1620 he moved back to his native Basel, where he acquired guild rights and started his own business. After the death of his father-in-law (1623) he continued his publishing house in Frankfurt and acquired Frankfurt citizenship in 1626. In 1627 he took Wenceslaus Hollar into his workshop as a student. After the death of his wife (1645), Merian married Johanna Sibylla Heim in 1646. From his first marriage come three daughters (Susanna Barbara, Margaretha and Maria Magdalena) and three sons: the two also work in his workshop, Matthäus Merian the Younger, Caspar Merian and Joachim. The daughter Maria Sibylla Merian, the natural scientist and artist, emerged from the second marriage. Matthäus Merian died after a long illness on June 19, 1650 in Langenschwalbach near Wiesbaden. He was buried in the Peterskirchhof in Frankfurt. After his death, his sons Matthäus and Caspar took over the publishing house and continued to publish his works under the name Merian Erben. (Wikipedia)

Copper engraving, hand colored in outline when published. A very detailed and rare old map of England and Walles with a fine engraved decorative title cartouche upper right hand corner showing three women surrounding the English crown and reclining gracefully against the base of a classical tablet, with a landscape and sailing ships in the background.

Original antique copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash when published. Decorative detailled map showing England, in the upper right corner we find a richly with historical coins ornated title cartouche. Many place names & rivers are found on the map, as well the names of the various counties are engraved. Johann Christoph Weigel, known as Christoph Weigel the Elder (9 November 1654 – 5 February 1725), was a German engraver, art dealer and publisher. He was born at Redwitz, Free imperial city of Eger in Egerland, and died in Nuremberg, aged 70. The cartographer Weigel worked around 1719 in Nürnberg and his maps are showing the typical style of this period in map making in Southern German. He worked very close as with Johann B. Homann in Nürnberg. All his maps were hand colored in outline and decorative body color immediatelly in his printing house, after they were printed.

Original copper engraving, published 1598 in a French text edition of the 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'. Finely hand-colored in wash and outline. The map is ornated a title cartouche in the upper left corner and a cartouche with a milage scale in the upper right side. Villages and towns are shown as miniature views. This map of England by Abraham Ortelius is based on the cartographic scource of 1568 after Humfred Lhuyd and Mercator's eight-sheet map of the British Isles of 1564.

Copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash. Decorative antique map showing England, Isle of Man and a part of Scotland. This highly decorative rare map of the late 17th century is equipped with a large allegoric title cartouche in the upper right corner, further at the left side with engraved coat of arms held by angels. At the bottom a small mileage scale with a ornament on the right side. With many engraved place names and details, the political borders shown in outline and wash color of the period as published. Nicolaes Visscher  (25 January 1618, Amsterdam – buried 11 September 1679, Amsterdam) was a Dutch engraver, cartographer and publisher. He was the son of Claes Janszoon Visscher. His son, Nicolaes Visscher II (1649–1702), also worked with him and continued the family tradition of mapmaking after his death. Visscher died in Amsterdam in 1679 and was buried in the Nieuwezijds Kapel on 11 September of that year, though a death year of 1709 is maintained by some sources. His engraved double hemisphere map, Orbis Terrarum Nova et Accuratissima Tabula, was created in 1658 in Amsterdam. It also contains smaller northern and southern polar projections. The border is decorated with mythological scenes, one in each corner, drawn by the painter Nicolaes Berchem, showing Zeus, Neptune, Persephone and Demeter. It is an early example of highly decorated Dutch world maps. (Wikipedia)

Copper engraving, uncolored as published. A fine copy in a dark impression, full margins as published. This is the first so-called Cloppenburgh editions which was a competive edition with new engraved maps in a larger format. Most of the maps were engraved by Pieter van den Keere. The Cloppenburgh edition was continued for a couple of years but seems to have been suppressed after 1636 ... . This is another Cloppenburgh edition, now with Latin text. The maps from the Appendix have been incorporated. The title-page is followed by a dedication to Prince Frederik Hendrik, dated 1632 and signed by Johannes Cloppenburgh. (Koeman Atlantes Neerlandici).

Original copper engraving, uncolored, published 1573 in a German text edition of the Atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" at Christopher Platin in Antwerp. A highly decorative and early map of England by the famous cartographer and mapmaker Abraham Ortelius based on the manuscript map by Lhuyds of 1568. As well a beautiful renaissance text cartouche and a mileage scale with an navigation circle at the bottom. Ortelius was born on 14 April 1527 in the city of Antwerp, which was then in the Habsburg Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). The Orthellius family were originally from Augsburg, a Free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1535, the family had fallen under suspicion of Protestantism. Following the death of Ortelius's father, his uncle Jacobus van Meteren returned from religious exile in England to take care of Ortelius. Abraham remained close to his cousin Emanuel van Meteren, who would later move to London. In 1575 he was appointed geographer to the king of Spain, Philip II, on the recommendation of Arias Montanus, who vouched for his orthodoxy. He travelled extensively in Europe and is specifically known to have traveled throughout the Seventeen Provinces; in southern, western, northern, and eastern Germany (e.g., 1560, 1575–1576); France (1559–1560); England and Ireland (1576); and Italy (1578, and perhaps twice or thrice between 1550 and 1558). Beginning as a map-engraver, in 1547 he entered the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke as an illuminator of maps. He supplemented his income trading in books, prints, and maps, and his journeys included yearly visits to the Frankfurt book and print fair, where he met Gerardus Mercator in 1554. In 1560, however, when travelling with Mercator to Trier, Lorraine, and Poitiers, he seems to have been attracted, largely by Mercator's influence, towards the career of a scientific geographer. (Wikipedia)

Original antique copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash when published. Decorative detailled historical map showing the 'historical England', ornated in the upper right corner with a historical Roman figure and the title text. In full original body colour and outline colour, when published. Many antique place names are found on the map, as well streets and rivers. Johann Christoph Weigel, known as Christoph Weigel the Elder (9 November 1654 – 5 February 1725), was a German engraver, art dealer and publisher. He was born at Redwitz, Free imperial city of Eger in Egerland, and died in Nuremberg, aged 70. The cartographer Weigel worked around 1719 in Nürnberg and his maps are showing the typical style of this period in map making in Southern German. He worked very close as with Johann B. Homann in Nürnberg. All his maps were hand colored in outline and decorative body color immediatelly in his printing house, after they were printed.

Copper engraving, hand colored in wash and outline when published.

Copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash. Decorative early map of Wales by the famous Dutch cartographer Gerard Mercator ornated with a renaissance title cartouche, a mileage scale, sea-monsters in the ocean and sailing ships. An early historic rare map of Wales published by Gerard Mercator 1613-16 in his atlas ,Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura. Denuo auctus - edition quarta.'. This rare map was published for the first time in 1607-08 in Gerard Mercator's atlas and appearred in several editions. Our example is from 1613-16 and has verso French descriptive text.

Copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash. French text edition. A highly decorative map of Wales by the famous cartographer and mapmaker Abraham Ortelius based on the manuscript map by Lhuyds of 1568. The early map here in a strong impression, ornated with a ship and a sea monster. As well a beautiful renaissance text cartouche and a mileage scale with an navigation circle at the bottom.

Original antique copper engraving, hand colored, published 1579 in a Latin text edition of the Atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" at Christopher Platin in Antwerp. A highly decorative map of Wales by the famous cartographer and mapmaker Abraham Ortelius based on the manuscript map by Lhuyds of 1568. The early map here in a strong impression, ornated with a ship and a sea monster. As well a beautiful renaissance text cartouche and a mileage scale with an navigation circle at the bottom. Ortelius was born on 14 April 1527 in the city of Antwerp, which was then in the Habsburg Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). The Orthellius family were originally from Augsburg, a Free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1535, the family had fallen under suspicion of Protestantism. Following the death of Ortelius's father, his uncle Jacobus van Meteren returned from religious exile in England to take care of Ortelius. Abraham remained close to his cousin Emanuel van Meteren, who would later move to London. In 1575 he was appointed geographer to the king of Spain, Philip II, on the recommendation of Arias Montanus, who vouched for his orthodoxy. He travelled extensively in Europe and is specifically known to have traveled throughout the Seventeen Provinces; in southern, western, northern, and eastern Germany (e.g., 1560, 1575–1576); France (1559–1560); England and Ireland (1576); and Italy (1578, and perhaps twice or thrice between 1550 and 1558). Beginning as a map-engraver, in 1547 he entered the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke as an illuminator of maps. He supplemented his income trading in books, prints, and maps, and his journeys included yearly visits to the Frankfurt book and print fair, where he met Gerardus Mercator in 1554. In 1560, however, when travelling with Mercator to Trier, Lorraine, and Poitiers, he seems to have been attracted, largely by Mercator's influence, towards the career of a scientific geographer. (Wikipedia)

Original copper-engraving, handcolored in wash, published 1617 in the townbook 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' by Braun and Hogenberg. The entire series of the 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' comprised six volumes and was published and printed from 1572 towards 1619. Decorative bird's eye view of Canterbury in the England. The city is shown decorative with its walls. the castle, churches, markets and important buildings are shown. The city views by Braun & Hogenberg are one of the earliest obtainable printed old city views. The map is ornated with three coats of arms in the corners.

This beautiful hand colored engraved map of London is dissected and laid on linen as issued. Shown is the entite city of Lodon and its surrounding. The title ,Cary´s new map of London and its vicinity 1826' is shown at the bottom of the map. A mileage scale is in the left lower corner.

Copper engraving, hand colored in outline and wash when published.

Engraved in a superior clear style. Showing the new improvements in Saint James´sPark, Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Regent´s Park, Charing Cross, and London Bridge, with the East and West India Docks, the London Docks, and Docks of St. Katharine; Extending East and West a distance of twelfe miles, also containing a general index to upwards of 5000 Streets, Public Buildings, Etc. Various Additions have been accurately inserted to the present time, from original and recent suvey, with the railways and stations.

Original antique copper engraving, uncolored as published. French text edition. Detailed map of the southwestern coast of England including Wales down to Plymouth, Torquay and Poole including the neighboring regions. Many engraved place names of cities and smaller villages, rivers, mountains and woods are also engraved. The map includes also a large renaissance title cartouche. Gerardus Mercator (5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a 16th-century geographer, cosmographer and cartographer from the County of Flanders. He is most renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing (rhumb lines) as straight lines—an innovation that is still employed in nautical charts. Mercator was one of the pioneers of cartography and is widely considered the most notable figure of the school in its golden age (approximately 1570s–1670s). In his own day, he was a notable as maker of globes and scientific instruments. In addition, he had interests in theology, philosophy, history, mathematics and geomagnetism. He was also an accomplished engraver and calligrapher. Unlike other great scholars of the age he travelled little and his knowledge of geography came from his library of over one thousand books and maps, from his visitors and from his vast correspondence (in six languages) with other scholars, statesmen, travellers, merchants and seamen. Mercator's early maps were in large formats suitable for wall mounting but in the second half of his life, he produced over 100 new regional maps in a smaller format suitable for binding into his Atlas of 1595. This was the first appearance of the word Atlas in reference to a book of maps. However, Mercator used it as a neologism for a treatise (Cosmologia) on the creation, history and description of the universe, not simply a collection of maps. He chose the word as a commemoration of the Titan Atlas, "King of Mauretania", whom he considered to be the first great geographer. A large part of Mercator's income came from sales of his terrestrial and celestial globes. For sixty years they were considered the finest in the world, and were sold in such great numbers that there are many surviving examples. This was a substantial enterprise involving the manufacture of the spheres, printing the gores, building substantial stands, packing and distributing all over Europe. He was also renowned for his scientific instruments, particularly his astrolabes and astronomical rings used to study the geometry of astronomy and astrology. Mercator wrote on geography, philosophy, chronology and theology. All of the wall maps were engraved with copious text on the region concerned. As an example the famous world map of 1569 is inscribed with over five thousand words in fifteen legends. The 1595 Atlas has about 120 pages of maps and illustrated title pages but a greater number of pages are devoted to his account of the creation of the universe and descriptions of all the countries portrayed. His table of chronology ran to some 400 pages fixing the dates (from the time of creation) of earthly dynasties, major political and military events, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and eclipses. He also wrote on the gospels and the old testament. Mercator was a devout Christian born into a Catholic family at a time when Martin Luther's Protestantism was gaining ground. He never declared himself as a Lutheran but he was clearly sympathetic and he was accused of heresy by Catholic authorities; after six months in prison he was released unscathed. This period of persecution is probably the major factor in his move from Catholic Leuven (Louvain) to a more tolerant Duisburg, in the Holy Roman Empire, where he lived for the last thirty years of his life. Walter Ghim, Mercator's friend and first biographer, describes him as sober in his behaviour, yet cheerful and witty in company, and never more happy than in debate with other scholars. Above all he was pious and studious until his dying days. (Wikipedia)

Woodcut map, finely hand colored in wash by a later hand. Published in the ,Cosmographia' by Sebastian Münster in Basel, German text edition 1574. Decorative early woodcut map of England and Scotland with the neighboring Irland. Cities and larger places are shown as schematic miniature city views, further mountains and rivers are engraved. An interesting nice 16th century map of England. This fine antique map was was published 1574 in a German text edition of Sebastian Münster's ,Cosmographia', the first detailed scientific and popular description of the world in Sebastian Münster's native language as well as a supreme effort of geographical study and literature of the Reformation period. One of the most popular treatises of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Cosmographia reached a total of forty-six editions in six languages by 1650 each incorporating additions and revisions. Sebastian Münster was a professor of Hebrew at Basel university and a most distinguished Hebraist linguist mathematician and geographer. This encyclopedic work was his major undertaking. In its completion, which occupied him for fifteen years, Münster received the assistance of more than one hundred and twenty collaborators, who provided him with the most up-to-date information relating to the towns and places described. The scientifically most valuable sections are those which deal with Germany and Central Europe.

Original copper engraving, hand colored in wash and outline, when published. The Austrian cartographer Franz Joh. Josef von Reilly published around 1789 in Vienna a large amount of very detailed district maps of Central Europe. These maps are famous for their large scales and the many details they provide. Even tiny place names can be found on those maps, rivers, mountains, streets, monasteries are as well engraved. The maps, which Franz J. Reilly engraved, were especially designed for the Austrian Royal house and show countries, provinces and districts belonging to the 'Austrian-Hungarian Empire'.

Fascinating detailed seachart of the south-eastern coast of England showing the coastline from Lizard Point over Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter towards Portland. In the very lower right corner the 'Kiscases' and 'Barroches' islands are marked. The map is ornated near the upper left corner with a large decorative cartouche, containing a milage scale to convert Dutch, Spanish, English & French leagues to degrees, right near it is the title-cartouche, the map is as well decorated with a large ship and two compass-roses. Along the coastline several villages and towns are marked, as well anchor places in the bays, sandbanks are shown, mostly with detailed information on the water-depths.

Copper engraving, handcolored in wash and outline when published. The detailled map shows the greater area arount London, including the areas Kent, Essex, Middlesex and a part of Surrey. With many engraved place names, streets, castles and monastries. As well rivers, lakes,mountains and forests are shown.

Copper engraving published in Allain M. Mallet's description of the world 'Description De L' Univers, Contenant Les Differents Systemes Du Monde, Les Cartes generales & particulieres ...'. French text edition with additional German titles on top.

Copper engraving published in Allain M. Mallet's description of the world 'Description De L' Univers, Contenant Les Differents Systemes Du Monde, Les Cartes generales & particulieres ...'. French text edition with additional German titles on top.