James Baker (fl.1791-1806) is first noted from ‘A Picturesque Guide to the Local Beauties of Wales and the Marches’, 1791-94. This beautifully engraved aquatint road book was like many, published in parts. Its unusual feature is that the roads are represented by a series of vignettes of the views found along the route. It has a complicated bibliography which is not fully understood. This is not helped by the fact that each example appears to include differing content. Volume I, published in four parts, was completed in 1802. Despite intending further parts, no record of any exists. Five of the plates in this example are variously dated between 1800 and 1801, the balance bear no dates. There are recorded examples in which some of the earlier plates are dated between December 1798 and March 1799. The first part appears to have been issued in 1799. After a delay, there appears to have been a rush to finish the ensuing three parts to complete the first volume. It would also appear that as publication drew close, by the end of 1802, Baker had the plates with dates from the previous century updated.

Smith and Webb describe the poor organisational skills of Baker supported by the number of examples of the atlas which vary in content. An unusual very rare road book. Provenance: Dominic Winter auction 15 December 2010 lot 63; private English collection. Refer Abbey Scenery (1952) 8 & 514; Fordham (1924) p. 46; Smith & Webb (1988) ‘James Baker’s Picturesque Plans’ in ‘The Map Collector’ no. 42 pp. 20-26; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).