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A fine map of Switzerland and its 13 cantons prepared by William Lizars for his 1841 edition of Lizars' Edinburgh Geographical General Atlas... Nicely hand colored to distinguish the different cantons and areas of the region.
Fairly detailed depiction of the area with numerous roads, cities, and even a mountainous rail line illustrated. Major cities of the past and present are on the map, namely Zurich, Geneva, and Bern. Other notable locations are present too such as Verdun on the border between Switzerland and France or Mont Blanc right inside the depicted portion of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
A very nice depiction of Switzerland with ample detail and color.
The Lizars were a Scottish family of engravers and printers who produced many views and maps. Daniel Lizars Sr. (1754-1812) was the son of a shoemaker, but he apprenticed with Andrew Bell, a printer and engraver. Lizars set up his own printworks near St. Giles Cathedral and took on his own apprentices, including George Bartholomew, whose son John would go on to found the important mapmaking firm later know as John Bartholomew & Son Ltd.
Daniel Sr. had three sons: Daniel Jr., John, and William Home. He also had a daughter, Jane Home. Daniel Jr. (1793-1875), the youngest of the boys, apprenticed in his father’s shop alongside George Bartholomew. When his father died in 1812, Daniel Jr. took over much of the business, expanding it and specializing in maps. The company went bankrupt in 1832, however, and Daniel emigrated to Canada.
John Lizars (1792-1860), the middle son, studied medicine and became Professor of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, as well as senior surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
William Home Lizars (1788-1859), the eldest, also apprenticed in his father’s shop. After learning engraving, William entered the Trustees’ Academy to learn under John Graham. He was a skilled painter and artist. When his father died, and after his Daniel Jr. left, he carried on printing and invented a method of etching that looks like wood engraving.
