Christopher & John Greenwood: Map of the County of Wilts, from Actual Survey in the Years 1819 & 1820
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Cartographer:
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Christopher & John Greenwood
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Title:
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Map of the County of Wilts, from Actual Survey in the Years 1819 & 1820
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Date:
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1820
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Published:
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London
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Width:
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44 inches / 112 cm
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Height:
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57 inches / 145 cm
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Map ref:
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WILTS383
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Description:
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Spectacular and richly hand-coloured folding wall map of Wiltshire based on a new survey by Christopher and John Greenwood.
This is a fine example of one of the extraordinary wall maps of English counties produced by the Greenwood brothers. Initially, they embarked on this project in 1817, with the aim of producing newly surveyed maps of all the counties on the same scale, and with consistent style and colouring. The grand dedication to the “Nobility, Clergy, & Gentry of Wiltshire” which appears in the lower-right corner shows who the intended customers of this map were. No doubt the Greenwood brothers believed that with Britain emerging victorious from the Napoleonic Wars, new wealth would become available to the gentry and the rising merchant class.
Unfortunately, this same thinking encouraged several rivals to begin their own mapping projects, which looked almost identical to the work of the Greenwoods, and, as a result, they were only able to complete 34 counties before they ran out of capital in 1831.
This splendid map of Wiltshire is typical of the Greenwood style. Exquisite scientific detail is merged with stunning original colour and skilful copper-engraving. The map is further adorned with a large vignette of Salisbury Cathedral, the pre-eminent local landmark of the day.
This example of the map is all together on one sheet and is folded into its original leather box which was designed to resemble a book . Original hand-colour. Folded. [WILTS383] |