Clive A. Burden LTD. Rare Maps, Antique Atlases, Books and Decorative Prints

The Mapping of North America

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This is the first edition of the ‘Direction for the English Traviller’ published by Thomas Jenner. The plates began life under Mathew Simmons who is most associated with printing John Milton’s works. In 1635 he published his one and only cartographic work ‘A Direction for the English Traviller’. Known famously as the thumbnail maps due to their size the three editions of that work are all exceedingly scarce. The maps were engraved by Jacob van Langeren and incorporated into a plate containing a distance table for the county, an invention of John Norden’s in 1625. In 1643 Thomas Jenner published an improved edition where the van Langeren maps were re-engraved slightly larger, each with a scale-bar and each this time with the place-names given in full. Jenner was a puritan and parliamentarian so this guide to the roads which was handy for the pocket would have been extensively used by the forces to make their way about the country during the English Civil War. The following year he would publish the ‘Quartermaster’s Map’ engraved for him by Wenceslaus Hollar. Provenance: with manuscript annotation of J. Lees on title page; private English collection. Bennett (1996) p. 8; Hodson (2000) pp. 368-89; Shirley (2004) T.Lang 1e; Skelton (1970) no. 25; Wing D1527.
JENNER, Thomas

A Direction for the English Traviller, By which he Shal be inabled to Coast about all England and Wales

London, 1643
Octavo (190 x 140 mm.), later full calf, blind embossed, gilt title to spine. With engraved title by Jacob van Langeren heavily soiled, 2 engraved leaves ‘The Use of all the insueing Tables’, 36 (of 37) plates each bearing a triangular distance table with accompanying small map of the county, lacking Worcestershire, 3 (of 4) folding plates: lacking that of Yorkshire, ‘The high Wayes’ torn, repaired, Table with map of England and Wales (with hole) and another table of Wales. Leicestershire torn without loss, Wiltshire laid down.
Stock number: 5651

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