An important plan of post-fire London by one of its planners

A very scarce plan of London, first published by John Seller and John Hill c.1676. It shows the city during the last few years of the reign of Charles II, centred on an artist's impression of the new St Paul's Cathdral (only started in 1675). An 80-point key lists the important buildings north of the river and another of 10 the buildings of Southwark. Across the top of the map are: a key cartouche featuring the Swordbearer and Sergeant-at-Arms, two ceremonial offices of the City of London; a vignette of trophies featuring Mercury representing commerce; and the arms of the City. Bottom right is an allegorical figure of Old Father Thames.
The plan was surveyed by John Oliver (c.1616-1701), a builder, architect and glass-painter as well as being a surveyor, engraver and publisher, who was married one of John Speed's grand-daughters. He became official surveyor of the City of London in 1668, two years after the Great Fire, a job which involved recreating property boundaries and aligning the streets. In this capacity he worked with both Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke (the latter having a poor view of Oliver, calling him a 'rascall', 'villaine', 'dog' and 'devill' ; however this did not stop the pair visiting Bartholomew Fair together to see a tiger). In 1686 he became Master Mason to James II.
In the mid-1670s Oliver partnered with John Seller to create the 'Atlas Anglicanus', the new survey of England and Wales that century; however, after six county maps and this map of London (compiled with the help of a reconciled Hooke), the enterprise floundered due to bad finances. The plate for this map was sold to Philip Lea c.1690 and passed to John Bowles c.1726. All editions are extrememly rare: there is only one recorded institutional example of this second state, in the Society of Antiquaries library.