The beginning of the nineteenth century saw a period of rapid market growth and innovation in the map publishing world. Increased literacy and public interest in new frontiers and colonies overwhelmed the market because it was oriented toward the small, affluent market of the previous century. With the intent to fill this void, The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in 1828 in London, by Lord Brougham and a group of men dedicated to the education of the aspiring working class and the Utilitarian ideal of 'Knowledge is Power.' The society produced an array of education materials, but the series of maps was one of their most successful ventures. A number of engravers and printers were used to produce the maps, which eventually exceed 200 sheets, and continued to be published after the Society as a whole ceased to function.

An attractive plan that portrays the ancient city of Pompeii on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy. Pompeii was buried under 30 feet of ash and magma during the explosion of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The key at right locates 55 buildings. A well rendered bird's-eye view of the ruins and elevations of the major buildings runs across the bottom. Insets of the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius and a plan of the Domus in a scroll complete the composition. Engraved by T.E. Nicholson and published by Baldwin & Craddock.

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Condition: A

Original outline color on a sturdy sheet.