Catalog Archive
Auction 192, Lot 405

NO RESERVE

"Leicester Shire", Morden, Robert

Subject: Central England

Period: 1695 (circa)

Publication: Britannia

Color: Black & White

Size:
16.6 x 14.2 inches
42.2 x 36.1 cm
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This county map of Leicester shows the early road system. The town of Leicester is located near the center of the map along the Soar River. The map is divided into Hundreds and displays interesting detail including the locations of buildings, rivers, bridges, and parks. There is a decorative title cartouche and three distance scales. Sold by Abel Swale, Awnsham & John Churchil.

Morden was one of the first English cartographers to show longitudes measured from the meridian of St. Paul's Cathedral (shown in degrees at the bottom of the map) and time in minutes measure locally from the sun (shown at the top in Roman numerals). The roads on his maps are based on Ogilby's earlier survey. The Britannia was first published by historian William Camden (1551-1623) in 1586. After the publication of the final edition of Britannia in 1637, the work was not published again until 1695 when Gibson revised and translated the text from the original Latin. He included fifty maps, mostly of the English counties, prepared by Robert Morden, replacing the outdated maps of Christopher Saxton.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) T.CAMD-5a.

Condition: A

On a bright sheet with a horse watermark. There is faint toning along the centerfold, minor offsetting, and a printer's crease at top center.

Estimate: $90 - $120

Sold for: $50

Closed on 4/26/2023

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