Catalog Archive
Auction 176, Lot 484

"Geneva (Geneve)", Stanford, Edward

Subject: Geneva, Switzerland

Period: 1841 (circa)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
14.6 x 11.5 inches
37.1 x 29.2 cm
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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.

Terrific plan of the fortified city with great detail of major buildings, streets, fortifications, bridges and the surrounding area. Includes an inset "Environs of Geneva" and a vignette showing the city from across the river with individual buildings clearly visible and numerous figures in the foreground.

References:

Condition: A

Contemporary color with a hint of pleasant toning and a short tear in the top blank margin that has been archivally repaired. Remnants of hinge tape on verso.

Estimate: $100 - $130

Sold for: $50

Closed on 2/12/2020

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