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Description

An Early English Map of Africa

Nice example of Richard Blome's scarce map of Africa, the earliest folio sized map of the region to be engraved in England.

While Speed's atlas was published prior to Blome, the plates were engraved and printed in Amsterdam. The map demonstrates the naïve engraving style characteristic of 17th Century English engravers and features an elaborate heraldic cartouche and a dedication to the Rt.  Worshipfull Sr. William Glynne, Baronet.

Several sailing ships and sea monsters.

Blome's maps, because of their rarity and importance in the history of English Cartography, are essential items for regional collectors. Blome first began engraving maps for his Geographical Description Of The Four Parts Of The World in 1667. The completed volume was in small folio and contained 24 maps (plus one duplicated), engraved by Francis Lamb, Thomas Burnford and Wenceslas Hollar. Blome's principal handicap in the production of the atlas was the lack of a domestic mapmaking environment comparable with that in Europe. Also, to finance his work, he undertook subscribers, in exchange for a promise to add their coat of arms to certain maps.

Condition Description
Minor toning.