|
Description
|
SPEED, JOHN. A PROSPECT OF THE MOST FAMOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD. LONDON: PRINTED BY M. AND S. SIMMONS AND ARE TO BE SOLD BY ROGER REA THE ELDER AND ROGER REA THE YOUNGER, 1662, ENGRAVED PORTRAIT FRONTISPIECE, PRINTED TITLE WITH LIST OF MAPS AND 21 ENGRAVED DOUBLE-PAGE GENERAL AND REGIONAL MAPS [bound with:] Speed, John. The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. London: To be sold by Roger Rea the Elder and the Younger, 1650-[1662], 4 parts in one, engraved architectural title, dedication and 68 double-page general and county maps after Christopher Saxton, John Norden and others 2 works bound in one volume, folio (441 x 279mm.), old reversed calf, Worthing Public Library copy with label to front pastedown, frontispiece and title to Theatre laid down, text leaf X2 (Bermuda) slightly shorter, someleavesreinforced,very occasional browning or spotting, rebacked, extremities rubbed and scuffed, new endpapers
|
|
Lot Note
|
A famous and influential map of the world, compiled by Oronce Fine, the leading French cartographer of the period. The map is constructed on an unusual double-cordiform (heart-shaped) projection, with the poles at the centre of each "heart". While a remarkable presentation of the northern hemisphere it is southern hemisphere that has excited most attention. The right hand "heart" is dominated by the large southern continent labelled "Terra Australis recenter inventa, sed nondu[m] plene cognita" (literally "southern land recently found, but not yet fully known"). This comment has caused extensive speculation, as it predates the earliest recognised discovery of Antarctica by 289 years. This later printing has the text to the reader dated 1540.
|