Atlases & Road Books

THE EARLIEST AND MOST RARE OF THE POCKET VERSIONS OF OGILBY

A Pocket Guide to the English Traveller: Being a Compleat Survey and Admeasurement of all the Principal Roads and most Considerable Cross-Roads in England and Wales. In One Hundred Copper-Plates.
London: Printed for J.Tonson at Shakespear's Head over-against Katherin-Street in the Strand, and J. Watts at the Printing-Office in Wild-Court near Lincoln's-Inn Fields.
MD CC XIX.

Almost fifty years after the publication of John Ogilby's road book Britannia, three pocket versions of his famous work came to publication. A further version started by Herman Moll was not completed. The first to go to print was this work, with maps drawn by Thomas Gardner, published by J. Tonson and J. Watts, announced in the Daily Courant on 30th December 1718. Of the two rival publications, volume one of An Actual Survey... by John Senex appeared just two days later on 1st Jan 1719, with volume two on 3rd Feb 1719. Publication for Britannia Depicta ... by Emanuel Bowen wasannounced in The Post-Boy 9th-11th Feb 1720.
Although being the first to publication, it was the least successful of the three and was not republished. In stark contrast, both the Senex and Bowen works continued publication with numerous re-issues into the 1760's.

In the race to publication several engravers were employed and there is variation in style and layout to the plates. The engravers are unknown with the exception of plate 33 which bears the engravers signature of William Caslon (1693-1766), the famous typefounder and typface designer.
The oblong quarto layout of this work may partly explain it's unpopularity, as it was not truly pocket sized and convenient for travel. The half page title and text pages possibly indicate an original intention to issue the maps folded.

Oblong quarto (34x22cm). Original boards cornered and re-backed in brown calf with gilt decoration to spine and title label. Original endpapers. Half page title, preface and 8pp. table of routes. 100 engraved plates. 

Closed tear across title page and old tape repair to edge. Repair to thumb mark to edge of first plate. Remaining plates generally clean and undamaged.

A very good and scarce road atlas.