A magnificent wall map published by the firm of Bowles and Carver. Very few publications by the partnership survive to this day and items of this size and beauty are particularly desirable. This map of Europe details in the side panels each nations regions, departments etc., each naming their chief towns. Some state their distance from their own capitals and London. To decorate the map we find a magnificent title cartouche.

An example of a map of Asia similarly entitled is in the British Library and dated 1789. It was published by Carington Bowles. It is possible that this matching Europe was first issued as the same time. Carington Bowles died in 1793 and the old family business was continued by his son Henry Carington Bowles (1763-1852) and Samuel Carver (n.d.), both members of the Joiners’ Company. Carver was apprenticed to Carington Bowles in 1770 and freed 1777. The Bowles family were wealthy and there was little incentive to compete with the likes of John Cary so many of their publications are scarce. This edition is dated 3 June 1805, later in the year the Battle of Trafalgar would be fought. This map is issued at a critical time in Europe’s history. No references found.