|
|
John Speed: Cornwall Described by the travills of John Norden augmented and published by I. Speed . . .
Title: Cornwall Described by the travills of John Norden augmented and published by I. Speed . . . Map Maker: John Speed
Description: Fine dark impression of Speed's decorative map of Cornwall, from the rare Latin edition of Speed's Theatre of Great Britain. Includes birdseye view of Launceton, sea monsters, compass rose, sailing ships and 8 of coats of arms. Engraved by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam in 1610, this is one of the most famous and decorative of all English county maps. Because of Cornwall's long and thin dimensions, Hondius had a great deal of sea area to use, which he filled with an inset view of Launceston, a large title cartouche with the Royal Arms, four local antiquities, eight coats of arms and several galleons and sea-monsters. Speed relied the work of John Norden rather than Saxton's map, for his source for this map. Norden (1548-c.1625), also planned a complete county atlas, but he never acquired the patronage essential for such a long-term enterprise. His finances failed after surveying only eight counties, but his work was innovative (popularising the use in England of a grid system with marginal letters and numbers) and with such good quality eying that Speed preferred to use Norden's maps rather that Saxton's as source material.
Related Categories:
|
||||||||||
