General Topographic Prints and Charts

37x30 cm

AN ORTHOGRAPHICAL DESIGNE OF SEVERALL VIEWS VPON Y^e ROAD, IN ENGLAND AND WALES.
This designe is to Illustrate Cambdens Brittania that where he mentions such places the Curious may see them, Which is the Indeavour by Gods assistance, of  Y.S. [your servant] Daniell King.
Sould by Iohn Overton at the whitehorse neere the fountaine tavern without Newgate.

Drawn by Daniel King and etched by Wenceslaus Hollar about 1660, probably intended to accompany extra illustrated copies of an early edition of William Camden's Britannia. The publication of extra illustrated copies of established works was a growing trend at the time and it is likely that Daniel King designed the plate to fulfil that function. The plate shows one hundred and one images of churches, houses, castles, antiquities, bridges and other features described in Camden's Britannia, most include references to page numbers and paragraphs relating to the 1637 edition of Britannia.


 

Daniel King (c.1615-c.1661) draughtsman, antiquary and engraver, born at Chester, son of William King, a baker. Best known for his views and plans of cathedrals and churches published in The cathedrall and conventuall churches of England and Wales... 1656. He was ridiculed by Sir William Dugdale, with whom he had worked on the Monasticon Anglicanum as "a most ignorant silly fellow" but is nowadays regarded as an early conservationist - his work often the only extant record of buildings now lost. [Lawrence Worms and Ashley Baynton-Williams British Map Engravers London Rare Book Society 2011]

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) artist and etcher, born in Prague, son of Jan Hollar, an official of the land registry. He came to England in 1636. As a Royalist during the Civil War, he took refuge in Antwerp from 1644 but had returned to London by 1652. He produced many maps working for, among others, for Thomas Jenner, John Overton, Richard Blome, John Ogilby, Robert Morden and John Seller.

John Overton (1640-1713), print & mapseller, born in London, the son of Thomas Overton, tailor, of Covent garden. He acquired the stock of Peter Stent on his death of the plague in 1665, and continued his business. He also acquired much of Daniel King's stock of plates on his death in 11661

A rare plate in good condition.