February 2020 Auction Ends Thursday, February 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2020
A very rare first printing of the post-Great Fire map of London by noted artist and engraver to the King, Wenceslaus Hollar. After the Great Fire swept across London in September 1666, destroying nearly 90% of the homes, Hollar almost immediately produced this map, titled ''A MAP or GROUNDPLOT of the Citty of London'', noted for its accuracy and attention to detail. Printed in London by John Overton, 1666. Appointed by King Charles II to document the destruction, Hollar was able to quickly plot the map based on his previous but failed passion project - to produce the greatest map of London that ever existed. Hollar used those previous drawings as the basis for his post-Great Fire map, adding detail for areas that survived the fire, and foregoing details for the destroyed areas. The result was an immensely popular and well-received map that grounded Hollar's reputation as engraver and cartographer. In this first printing - distinguished by the placement of the legend, inset map and scale of the city, Hollar documents the destruction of London, from Lincoln's Inn Fields in the west to East Smith's Field in the east, including the Great Tower of London, and from just south of the Thames River in the south to Bunhill Fields Burial Ground in the north. An inset to churches throughout the city ''and other remarkable places'' is present, as is a scale for the map. Finally, an inset map showing a larger portion of London is found at lower left, including Westminster which narrowly missed the fire's path. Map is astonishingly complete and detailed given the speed that Hollar produced it, with printed signature appearing at bottom of inset map, ''W. Hollar fecit [Latin, 'he made'] 1666''. Map measures 14.5'' x 12''. Light toning and faint creasing, small quarter-inch closed tear at lower left margin, and spot of discoloration at mid-right margin. Mounting remnants on verso. Overall near fine condition given age.
Scarce First Edition, First Printing Map of London Just After the Great Fire in 1666, by Wenceslaus Hollar
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