A beautifully coloured map of Bavaria by the firm of Robert Laurie and James Whittle who took over the business of Robert Sayer. They updated his ‘General Atlas’ with many new maps and issued it as ‘A New Universal Atlas’. It is from this latter work that this attractive map is from. Often thought of as mere publishers Robert Laurie (1755-1836) was a noted craftsman. He was a talented mezzotint engraver who invented a method of mezzotint printing in colour, an achievement that won him an award from the Royal Society of Arts in 1776. In the early 1790s he entered the publishing business with James Whittle (1757-1818) as his partner. The acquisition of Sayer’s stock catapulted them into the major league. The firm still exists today under the name Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson Ltd. Shirley (2004) T.Lau-1a no. 30; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).