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CAMDEN, William : Britannia: Or a Chorographical Description of Great Britain

Folio (400 x 250 mm.), two volumes, full contemporary calf. Spine ribbed with 7 compartments, gilt lined, calf labels for title and volume. Volume 1; with engraved portrait of Camden by R. White, typographic title page within double rule border, 36 double page county maps by Robert Morden, 9 engraved plates. Volume 2; typographic title page within double ruled border, 15 double page county maps by Robert Morden. pp. (64), cclxvii, 696 (numbered columns, actually 348); (2), 829 (numbered columns paginated in continuation 697-1526); (176). With some light browning and occasional offsetting, generally a fine looking example.

Robert Morden is arguably best known for the series of maps he produced for the first edition of Dr. Edmund Gibson’s translation of William Camden’s 'Britannia'. Gibson (1669-1748) had first projected the work in 1692 when a Fellow of Queen’s College, Oxford. He turned to Morden (d.1703) to provide the maps. His sources are varied and are analysed by Skelton. The atlas was published in later editions in 1722, c.1730, 1753 and 1772. The availability of text leaves printed for the edition of 1722 had by now been exhausted and the book was out of print. This 1753 edition has had the text entirely reset word for word. The plates have been retouched in a number of instances and there are even some revisions made. During this time the ownership had changed too. Originally published by Awnsham Churchill it was in the hands of ten publishers in 1730 and the present 14 publishers by 1753. Hodson goes into great detail about the various changes of shareholdings. Records survive recording the print run as being 500 copies. A lovely example. Provenance: bookplates of ‘Thomas Wright Esqr. of Santon Downham, Suffolk 1767’ and Frank Cubitt; public auction. Beresiner pp. 157-60; Chubb 116; Hodson 171; Shirley BL T.Camd 5d; Skelton 117.

CAMDEN, William : Britannia: Or a Chorographical Description of Great Britain

Folio (400 x 250 mm.), two volumes, full contemporary calf. Spine ribbed with 7 compartments, gilt lined, calf labels for title and volume. Volume 1; with engraved portrait of Camden by R. White, typographic title page within double rule border, 36 double page county maps by Robert Morden, 9 engraved plates. Volume 2; typographic title page within double ruled border, 15 double page county maps by Robert Morden. pp. (64), cclxvii, 696 (numbered columns, actually 348); (2), 829 (numbered columns paginated in continuation 697-1526); (176). With some light browning and occasional offsetting, generally a fine looking example.

Robert Morden is arguably best known for the series of maps he produced for the first edition of Dr. Edmund Gibson’s translation of William Camden’s 'Britannia'. Gibson (1669-1748) had first projected the work in 1692 when a Fellow of Queen’s College, Oxford. He turned to Morden (d.1703) to provide the maps. His sources are varied and are analysed by Skelton. The atlas was published in later editions in 1722, c.1730, 1753 and 1772. The availability of text leaves printed for the edition of 1722 had by now been exhausted and the book was out of print. This 1753 edition has had the text entirely reset word for word. The plates have been retouched in a number of instances and there are even some revisions made. During this time the ownership had changed too. Originally published by Awnsham Churchill it was in the hands of ten publishers in 1730 and the present 14 publishers by 1753. Hodson goes into great detail about the various changes of shareholdings. Records survive recording the print run as being 500 copies. A lovely example. Provenance: bookplates of ‘Thomas Wright Esqr. of Santon Downham, Suffolk 1767’ and Frank Cubitt; public auction. Beresiner pp. 157-60; Chubb 116; Hodson 171; Shirley BL T.Camd 5d; Skelton 117.

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