Composite: British Empire in America. / Popple, Henry / 1733

Composite: British Empire in America. Popple, Henry, 1733

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Full Title: (Composite Map of) A Map of the British Empire in America with the French and Spanish Settlements adjacent thereto. by Henry Popple. C. Lempriere inv. & del. B Baron Sculp. To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty This Map is most humbly Inscribed by Your Majesty's most Dutiful, most Obedient, and most Humble Servant Henry Popple. London Engrav'd by Willm. Henry Toms & R.W. Seale, 1733.

Author: Popple, Henry

Date: 1733

The first large scale map of North America and the most accurate at the time. It shows the extent of the British, French, and Spanish colonial possessions. The information on the map was based on Popple's work at the Board of Trade and Plantations in London. Popple's map was widely copied by other cartographers and remained the standard map of North America for several decades. It was published as a wall map and as an Atlas.

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Note: A composite of all twenty sheets of the Popple Atlas. Sheets without color.

Reference: Cumming 216; Streeter 676; Lowery 337-8; Cumming & Wallis Introductory Notes to Margary's Popple reprint. Key Map State 1 Babinski. 20 Sheet Map State 4b Babinski.

Published In: A Map of the British Empire in America with the French and Spanish Settlements adjacent thereto. by Henry Popple. C. Lempriere inv. & del. B Baron Sculp. To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty This Map is most humbly Inscribed by Your Majesty's most Dutiful, most Obedient, and most Humble Servant Henry Popple. London Engrav'd by Willm. Henry Toms & R.W. Seale, 1733. (index map) ... W.H. Toms Sculp.

Publication Reference: Cumming 216; Streeter 676; Lowery 337-8; Cumming & Wallis Introductory Notes to Margary's Popple reprint.

Publication Note: 1st edition, 1st state. King George II copy. Howes P481; Sabin 64140; Schwartz & Ehrenberg 151; Winsor V, p82. The first state of the large map and the index map (see Cumming & Wallis for Margary reprint and Cumming 216) in that the pages are unnumbered, no credits below the neat line on sheet 17 or the title sheet, and Toms & Seale on Sheet 20. The binding is full red morocco with gold tooling at the edges and the coat of arms of King George II in gold on the front and back covers; the spine is stamped with "Popple's Atlas" in gilt. This copy was sold to the family I acquired it from by Francis Edwards in 1929/30 - a copy of Edward's 1929 catalogue entry is tipped into the front of the book. Tooley, Mapping America p 316, says "A copy (of the Popple Map) bound in red morocco for George II sold in 1930..." Lacks the contents sheets and the half sheet #4 (provided in expert facsimile). The index map is in full color while the map sheets are uncolored. The first large scale map of America and the most accurate at the time. Covens and Mortier published a six sheet edition in 1740 (Lowery). Lowery, Howes and Phillips incorrectly list Seale as "Searle." Howes mentions a later edition by Jefferys, but I can find no record of it.

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