The FIRST EDITION of Gibson’s highly desirable little atlas. John Gibson (fl.1750-1787) was an engraver who worked for several of the cartographers of the day. Published and advertised extensively in May of 1759 by John Newbery (1713-67) the ‘New and Accurate Maps …’ was most probably intended for children. It was priced at ‘4s. bound in Calf, or 5s. 6d. with the Maps coloured’ Newbery was the first to provide educational books for children. In 1758 Newberry had published the ‘Atlas Minimus’, with plates engraved by Gibson, a similar sized world atlas. It is Newbery who is depicted in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield as the philanthropic bookseller. He also published Goody Two Shoes, the first in his series of the Juvenile Library. The Atlas Minimus contains a leaf stating ‘Speedily will be Publish’d, in the same Size of this Volume, the Counties of England and Wales. Drawn & Engrav’d By J: Gibson, Engraver at No. 18 Georges-Court Clerkenwell’.

Below the title is a brief explanation of the symbols used on the maps. The maps themselves contain some brief topographical and statistical notes. There were two editions of this pretty county atlas, both of which are very rare. On Newbery’s death, the business was taken over by his son, Francis Newbery, and his stepson, Thomas Carnan. His name is honoured in America with the annual award of a medal since 1922 for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature by an American resident. Provenance: With inscriptions on front free endpaper of ‘G. Coles 1767’, ‘to H. J. North’, ‘H. North to J. North Jan 14 1781’; acquired 1972 for the collection of Donald Hodson (1933-2016), carto-bibliographer. Chubb (1927) no. 213; not in the ESTC; Hodson (1984-97) no. 219; Shirley (2004) T.Gib 2a; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).