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Mr. Philip D. Burden
P.O. Box 863,
Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks HP6 9HD,
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0) 1494 76 33 13
Email: enquiries@caburden.com
John Cary (c.1754-1835) and descendants were possibly the most prolific publishers of cartography around the turn of the nineteenth century. Cary is noted for the clarity of detail in his maps and was the first to use the Greenwich meridian. Cary was apprenticed to William Palmer from 1770-7. His very earliest works were engravings for or publications in partnership with others. His first sole publication was a very rare road book displaying the route from London to Falmouth published in 1784.
The ‘New and Correct English Atlas’ by Cary was first published in 1789, the title page being dated 1787. It proved very popular and was constantly amended with new information. By the early 1800s the copper plates had been used so much that an entirely new series was produced. Along with Cary’s similarly popular octavo ‘Traveller’s Companion’, they are as far as I am aware the only cases where a complete set of engraved maps had to be replaced due to wear. This is an example of the first edition dated 1809. An innovative feature he introduced in this series was to place a letter at the exit point of a road from the county. This letter would correspond to that found on the neighbouring county. This was an early form of numbering the roads. This therefore is the first edition of the new series of copper plates. Provenance: booksellers label of ‘W. Bulgin’ of Bristol pasted inside upper boards, manuscript ownership inscriptions of ‘Lt. Col. Dorville Royal Dragoons’ inside upper board; private English collection. Carroll (1996) 65; Chubb (1927) 264; Fordham (1925) p. 82; refer Hodson (1984-97) 286; Smith (1988).
CARY, John
Cary's New and Correct English Atlas: Being A New Set of County Maps from Actual Surveys
John Cary, Engraver & Map-seller. No. 181, near Norfolk Street, Strand, London, July 1st 1809
Quarto (315 x 255 mm.), contemporary quarter calf, marbled paper boards, rebacked preserving the original spine, gilt ruled bands, red calf gilt title label. With engraved title page, contents leaf, pp. 14 of ‘Directions for the Junction of the Roads of England and Wales, Through all the Counties’, ‘Market and Borough Towns’, ‘Principal Post and Sub-Post-Towns’, map of South Britain (small tear) and 43 county maps on 44 plates (West Riding being on two plates) and both North and South Wales, 47 maps in total, all in early outline colour, each accompanied by a leaf of descriptive text, with water stain to gutter of last few leaves, otherwise in good condition.
Stock number: 10969
£ 875