Rare edition of Speed’s map of Huntingdonshire

One of the most famous maps of the county, engraved by Jodocus Hondius in 1610 for John Speed's county atlas, 'The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain', 1611-1612. The decorations include: an elaborate strapwork title cartouche featuring figures of huntsmen (with one holding a falcon); inset plans of Huntingdon & Ely; engraved text on two open books, the Royal Arms and armorials of nine local nobles. On the reverse is a letterpress description of the county and a gazetteer. This example comes from the Roger Rea issue, which was beset with disaster: according to an advert for the 1676 Bassett & Chiswell edition, ''the greatest part of an Impression, then newly Printed, [was] destroyed by the late dreadful Fire, 1666". Surviving examples of any Rea map are thus rare.