| Method | Copper engraved with hand colour |
| Artist | Speed, John |
| Published | Performed by Iohn Speed and are to be Sold by Thomas Bassett in Fleet Street, and Ric. Chiswell in St Pauls Churchyard [London, 1676] |
| Dimensions | 385 x 510 mm |
| Notes |
John Speed's carte-a-figure map of the Kingdom of Scotland, from the 1676 Bassett and Chiswell printing of the Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. Scotland is shown divided into its counties, with borders outlined in beautiful hand colour. Principal towns and cities are picked out in red, and mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers are shown pictorially. The waters of the Irish Sea, the German Ocean, and the so-called Deucalidon Sea are hatchured in Hondius distinctively decorative style, broken by a compass rose, numerous sea monsters, and trio of sailing ships, two of which battle off the eastern coast of Lewis in the Hebrides. The title is enclosed in a strapwork cartouche in the top left corner, and in the top right, another boxed cartouche contains an inset map of the Orkney isles. Of most interest are the panels along the left and right sides of the map, featuring the Royal Arms and the Scottish saltire, as well as four full-length portraits depicting national dress, of a 'Scotch' man and woman, wearing clothing similar to their English neighbours to the south, and a pair of Highlanders, male and female, clad in nothing but rough-spun tartan blankets. The verso text expounds Speed's theories about the origins of the inhabitants of Scotland, as he identifies the southern Scots as being of the same Celtic peoples as England and Wales, who fled north to avoid Roman rule. The Highlanders however, he sees as descendants of the Scythians and Getae of ancient history, and thus 'Wild' like their Irish cousins. The current example is the second state of Speed's map of Scotland. In earlier printings, the figures represented were actually the Scottish royal family, King James, Queen Anne, and their sons Henry and Charles. Following the execution of the latter, King Charles I, it was evidently deemed politic by the publishers to remove the portraits, and thus the plate was re-engraved with generic Scottish figures in place of the Royal portraits. English descriptive text on verso. John Speed (1552-1629) is the most famous of all English cartographers primarily as a result of The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, the first atlas of the British Isles. The maps from this atlas are the best known and most sought-after of all county maps. The maps were derived mainly from the earlier prototypes of Christopher Saxton and John Norden but with notable improvements including parish "Hundreds" and county boundaries, town plans and embellishments such as the coats of arms of local Earls, Dukes, and the Royal Household. The maps are famed for their borders consisting of local inhabitants in national costume and panoramic vignette views of major cities and towns. An added feature is that regular atlas copies have English text printed on the reverse, giving a charming description of life in the early seventeenth century of the region. The overall effect produced very decorative, attractive and informative maps. For the publication of his prestigious atlas, Speed turned to the most successful London print-sellers of the day, John Sudbury and George Humble. William Camden introduced the leading Flemish engraver, Jodocus Hondius Sr. to John Speed in 1607 because first choice engraver William Rogers had died a few years earlier. Work commenced with the printed proofs being sent back and forth between London and Amsterdam for correction and was finally sent to London in 1611 for publication. The work was an immediate success, with the maps themselves being printed for the next 150 years. Speed was born in 1552 at Farndon, Cheshire. Like his father before him he was a tailor by trade, but around 1582 he moved to London. During his spare time Speed pursued his interests of history and cartography and in 1595 his first map of Canaan was published in the "Biblical Times". This raised his profile and he soon came to the attention of poet and dramatist Sir Fulke Greville a prominent figure in the court of Queen Elizabeth. Greville as Treasurer of the Royal Navy gave Speed an appointment in the Customs Service giving him a steady income and time to pursue cartography. Through his work he became a member of such learned societies as the Society of Antiquaries and associated with the likes of William Camden, Robert Cotton, and William Lambarde. He died in 1629 at the age of seventy-seven. Condition: Central vertical fold as issued. Minor time toning and creasing to edges of sheet. English letterpress text on verso. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £2,000.00 |
| Stock ID | 53438 |