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John Ogilby (1600-1676) was an English geographer and publisher, one of the most prominent of the seventeenth century. Little is known of his early life but by 1619 he was apprenticed to John Draper, a dancing-master in London. He worked as a dancing-master, courtier, and theater owner form 1620-1641. From 1649 he worked as a poet, translator, and publisher of classical texts. It is only in the last decade of his life that he entered into geography.

In 1649, Ogilby published his first translation, of Virgil, and continued to put out translations in the 1650s and 1660s. In March 1661 he was reconfirmed as master of revels in Ireland and appointed master of the king’s imprimeries, or king’s printer. From 1662 to 1665 he was in Ireland, where he most likely met Robert Boyle. He returned to London only to lose much of his printing stock in the Great Fire of 1666. Post-fire, he became assistant surveyor to the city, where he met Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren.

In 1669, Ogilby published Embassy to China. At the same time, he planned to release atlases that would cover the entire world. These atlases would be funded via subscriptions, advertisements, and lotteries—all common practice at the time, especially for expensive multi-volume works. He released Africa and Atlas Japannensis in 1670, America in 1671 and Atlas Chinensis in 1671, and Asia in 1673. Ogilby compiled the works based on materials produced by others and they reflect a growing interest in the wider world within England.

In 1671, while producing the atlases, Ogilby secured another royal title, that of his Majesty’s cosmographer. He used this title when publishing Britannia in 1675, his best-known work. The Britannia is best described as a road atlas; it shows 2519 miles of road in 100 strip maps. This technique would be widely adopted in the subsequent century. His method of measuring with a waywiser, a large wheel, also helped to standardize the distance of the English mile at 1760 yards. The Britannia was a major achievement in early English cartography and was republished in 1698, 1719, and 1720.

Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.5 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89493
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89487
Place/Date:
London / 1670
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
See Description
Stock#:
92685
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14.5 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
102114
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
6.5 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
105258
Place/Date:
London / 1675 circa
Size:
17 x 12.75 inches
Condition:
Good
Stock#:
77760
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
15 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
99598
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 10.75 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
109731
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.5 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89492
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89485
Place/Date:
London / 1675
Size:
17.5 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
100748
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89482
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 10.75 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89475
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 10.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
82983
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
21.5 x 16.5 inches
Condition:
Good
Stock#:
88699
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89486
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
16.25 x 10.25 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
53619
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
6.5 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
106275
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
Stock#:
89479
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
58032
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.25 x 10 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89471
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 10.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89483
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89490
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
93436
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
6.5 x 5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
29355
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89481
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
7 x 5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
29660
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26718
Place/Date:
London / 1670
Size:
14.25 x 10.25 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
75009
Place/Date:
London / 1670
Size:
13.25 x 10 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
75603
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89478
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
21 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
98133
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
95676
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13 x 10.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89472
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89476
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89474
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
57575
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
93437
Place/Date:
London / 1670 circa
Size:
13.5 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
75124
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.75 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89473
Place/Date:
London / 1675 circa
Size:
17.5 x 12.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
80965
Place/Date:
London / 1675 circa
Size:
16.5 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
80963
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
13.25 x 10.75 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89477

Archived

Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11.5 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
40147
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11.5 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
37351
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
93441
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
93440
Place/Date:
London / 1670
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
86773
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14.5 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89150
Place/Date:
London / 1675 circa
Size:
17.5 x 13.25 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
77758
Place/Date:
London / 1675
Size:
19 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
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Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
15 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
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Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
15 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
93181
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
15 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
98196
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
93454
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
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Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
89489
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
80377
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 10.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
92794
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 10.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
93434
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 8 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
25975
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1671
Size:
12 x 7 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
11738
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
8 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
29407
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
22 x 17 inches
Condition:
See Description
Stock#:
22982
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
22 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
24854
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
22 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
31036
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
22 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
32727
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
21.5 x 16.5 inches
Condition:
Good
Stock#:
93243
Place/Date:
London / 1673
Size:
22 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
94366
Place/Date:
London / 1670 circa
Size:
14.5 x 11.25 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
75449
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
21.5 x 17.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
18919
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
21.5 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
60813
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
5321
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
22376
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
23994
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26357
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
11737
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26241
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26345
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26809
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
32463
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
39922
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
11 x 6.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
57270
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
6.5 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
105259
Place/Date:
London/Amsterdam / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
4923
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
23943
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
26405
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
32074
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
32775
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
57083
Place/Date:
London / 1671
Size:
14 x 11 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
5348