The maps engraved for the ‘Guide to Knowledge’ are unique in English county maps in that they are incised into the woodblock, so that upon printing the image is white on a black background. The maps were the work of Joshua Archer and Sidney Hall, both active engravers in the field of map production. The editor of the work was William Pinnock and it was issued weekly. By the time it was completed, the work contained 43 maps of the counties, 11 British town plans, 32 of the countries of the world and 1 view of Sydney. A lithographic transfer was taken from these blocks later in their life and used in the production of the rare ‘Johnson’s Atlas of England’, 1847. Provenance: Dr. Adrian Almond Collection; private English collection. Beresiner p. 181; Carroll (1996) 98; not in Chubb.