Westmorland Maps

24x19 cm

BY A FEMALE ENGRAVER IN THE REIGN OF WILLIAM IV

WESTMORLAND. ENGRAVED BY S. HALL.

This series of maps first appeared in Gorton's Topographical Dictionary issued in parts over a three year period from 1830, the complete work published in 1831 and 1833. They were also issued as individual folding maps by Chapman and Hall in 1832. The maps then appeared, intaglio printed, in A New British Atlas…, Sidney Hall's British Atlas…, A Travelling County Atlas… and other variations on the title, from 1834 until 1857 and then by lithographic transfer until c.1888. The plates were regularly updated to include the latest railway developments.

 
 
It has been assumed that all the maps for this series were engraved by Sidney Hall (1788?-1831), but Sidney Hall married Selina Price (1780?-1853) in 1821 and his engraving business was continued by his wife after his death in 1831. Selina signed her maps "S.Hall.", she was clearly a highly skilled engraver, presumably trained by her husband, and stylistically there is little difference in their work. Sidney Hall usually signed his maps “Sid^y. Hall” so it is reasonable to assume that maps produced around the time of his death signed “S.Hall” are by Selina Hall. She is recorded as an engraver on the 1842 Census, living in Bury Street with a servant. She was buried 23 Nov. 1853 at St. George, Bloomsbury. In her will, she left her books, maps etc., to her nephew Edward Weller (1819-1884) who took over the Bury Street premises and continued the business.
 
 

This map of Westmorland has the imprint of Chapman & Hall at N^o.186 Strand and was published from 1835 to 1850. Original outline hand colour.
Archival tape repairs to centerfold splits top and bottom and short tear top margin.