c1685 VISSCHER, Nicolas 

The same year as William Berry published his New Map, John Overton was distributing a similar map with a similar title showing rivers, hills and county boundaries with the roads as straight lines between towns clearly marked with the relevant distance in miles taken from John Adams map of 1677. The map has a graticule and early states are often seen with tables on the sides listing towns. The first state has a dedication to James II, although this was erased in the second state when the cartouche was reworked.

The map was printed and published by Nicolas Visscher in Amsterdam and the imprint panel clearly attributes the map to him. However, they also bear the imprint of John Overton in both the panel bottom right of the engraved map and another panel concluding the right hand column of the table, where they are present, indicating a joint issue.


Illustration from Internet Archive – state 2. "David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries."

Title panel: A New Map Of The Kingdom of England and Wales Representing the Princedom of Wales, and other Provinces, Cities, Market Towns, with the Roads from Town to Town and the number of Reputed Miles between them, are given by lnspection without Scale or Compass. Title in cartouche surrounded by putti top right.

Imprint (bottom right within map and again at foot of tables): Printed and given out at Amsteldam by Nicolas Visscher upon the Dam at the Signe of the Fisher with Priviledge of ye States Generalls and are to be Sould at London by John Overton at the White Horse without Newgate.

Size: 575 mm x 495 mm (without tables).

   

Illustrations taken from Wikipedia – National Library of the Netherlands (KBN).


First state: dedication to James II. (BL, UBA).

Second state: dedication erased, longitude numbering altered and cartouche reworked. (KBN, BL, BnF)[1].

A third state in 1688 had a dedication to both William Prince of Orange and Princess Mary. (BL).

The   fourth state was dedicated to King William III alone (BL, BnF, Bern, C[2]).

The same map without the side tables was re-engraved by John Overton c. 1677 with no dedication, new imprints and trimmed at sides losing all tables.

It was last issued c.1720 when the title concluded ... Nunc Apud Petrum Schenk. Jun. (Leiden).

The same map without the side tables was re-engraved by John Overton in 1690 with Mr. Adams's Mapp added above the title. It was produced in 4 strips "contracted and made portable for ye pocket". (B, BL).

On sale via ebay in 2024. Note original title cartouche, lack of any dedication, Dutch explanation panel (left) and new imprint with no panel frame (right): Sould by Iohn Overton at the White Horse without Newgate.


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 1687 LEA, Phillip

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[1] Two variants are known with different Explanation slips (BL has English or BnF has Dutch) added to panel bottom left.

[2] This example printed on silk (see Skelton p.143).

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