Beschreibung:

The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain… A Prospect of the most Famous Part of the World… With Many Additions never before Extant.
London, Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, 1676. Five parts in one volume. Folio (16 3/4 x 11 in). Engraved additional title and achievement of Charles II, printed title in red and black, four printed sectional titles, 68 general and county maps, 5 printed tables of road distances, the 'Prospect' with 28 maps of all parts of the world (including the twin-hemispherical world map and 6 relating to the Americas), together 96 engraved maps, a few maps with marginal discoloration, and a few creased at centrefold, bound to seventeenth century style in full red morocco, gilt. The first world atlas published by an englishman in england. This edition with the full complement of maps of the Americas. The Theatre of Great Britain (first published in 1611-1612) dominated the seventeenth century map market, going through many reprints and editions. In 1627 Speed's publisher added a foreign supplement, the first of its kind to be published in England. For this, final, 1676 edition of the Prospect, the publisher added a further eight mapsheets. These included four of the Americas engraved by Francis Lamb, namely New England & New York, Carolina & Florida, Virginia & Maryland, and Jamaica & Barbados, and three further foreign maps of the East Indies, Russia, and the Holy Land, and a map of the 'Invasions of England and Ireland' - properly belonging to the 'Theatre' as opposed to the 'Prospect' and bound as such in the present example. This is the only edition of the 'Theatre' and 'Prospect' in which the 'Theatre' has the general title page for both the works, showing that, for the first time, it was intended to precede the 'Prospect'. Chubb XXVII; Phillips, 'Atlases' 488; Shirley, 'British Library' T.SPE-1i; Skelton 92; Wing S4886