Henry Teesdale (fl.1828-45) a successful publisher in London is best known for two English County atlases. In 1829 he acquired the county plates to Robert Rowe’s exceedingly rare ‘English Atlas’ and after revision published them as the ‘New British Atlas’. Encouraged by its undoubted success he embarked on a reduced sized county atlas which he published the following year entitled ‘A New Travelling Atlas’. In this work the roads are made the principal feature. The engraved title page bears an attractive vignette above the imprint displaying five cherubs being educated in geography. The maps bear a distinct piano keyboard border design. For some reason it was not a great success, at least judging from the fact that only five examples survive.

In this edition the title states that it was brought up to date to the year 1843. The name of David Watson Martin appears in the imprint, he is listed in the British Book Trade Index in 1836 as a bookbinder, which might explain the elaborate bindings. Plate numbers were added as were railways in the counties where they had been introduced. Chubb points out that the Cambridge map bears the London to Cambridge Railway which was officially opened July 1845. In all the copies examined, the maps appear to be in the same state. A later title page bears across the top ‘This Edition Contains All The Railways’. Provenance: private English collection. Burgess (2009) no. 124.ii; Carroll (1996) no. 92.2; refer Chubb (1927) no. 418.