A rare issue of Speed's map of Cambridgeshire

SPEED, John.

Cambridgshire described with the division of the hundreds, the townes situation with the Armes of the Colleges of that famous Universiti. And also the Ames of all such Princes and noble men as have heerto fore borne the honorable tytles & dignities of the Earldome of Cambridg.
London: Roger Rea & Son, 1662-5. Coloured. 380 x 520mm.

Narrow margin bottom right.

One of the most decorative maps of the county, engraved by Jodocus Hondius for John Speed's county atlas, the 'Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain'. Down the sides are the arms of 17 colleges, with seven arms of nobles along the bottom. Around the map is a strapwork title cartouche with the royal arms of James VI & I. a plan of the city with an extensive key, and the figures of four scholars. On the reverse is an English-text letterpress description of the county.This example comes from the Roger Rea issue of the atlas, 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.


Stock ID : 24020