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RAMBLE, Reuben : Reuben Ramble’s Travels in the Western Counties of England

Darton and Clark, London, 1843

Quarto (210 x 170 mm.), one part (of five), with contemporary paper wrappers, with ornate printed title to upper wrapper with map vignette and advert to the lower one. With 8 early wash coloured lithographic plates, 2 pasted to insides of the covers. With modern quarter calf slipcase with marbled paper boards, title affixed and silk ties.

Reuben Ramble designed this atlas for children and it is now highly desired. The maps were originally published as a set of exceedingly rare card maps of the counties by Thomas Crabb. They were then issued by Robert Miller as the 'New Miniature Atlas' of 1821. Here Ramble surrounds the wide margins of the maps with a series of ornate vignettes. Ramble (1810-75), whose name is a pseudonym for the Reverend Samuel Clark, left his father’s business in 1836 and went to London. He soon became a partner to William Darton. He went on to write geography books for children and later in life became the Rector of Eaton-Bishop. The reference works normally place a date of c.1845 on this work however we have owned an example of the atlas bearing the ownership inscription dated 1844. Here we push the publishing date even further back as the ownership inscription is dated 1843. Provenance: original owner’s manuscript inscription ‘Harry Woodward Beckwith December 14th 1843’. Carroll 74B; Chubb 517.

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