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HALL, Sidney : A New British Atlas; Comprising A Series of 54 Maps, Constructed from the most Recent Surveys and Engraved by Sidney Hall

Chapman & Hall 186, Strand, London, 1836

Quarto (270 x 215 mm.), contemporary quarter morocco, cloth boards, ornate gilt title to the upper board, ribbed spine with blind ruled compartments, gilt title, with recent solander box in blue cloth, marbled paper inside, gilt black calf title on spine, light water stain on front cover. With engraved title page, List of Maps and 47 steel engraved maps on 54 sheets all in early wash colour, each accompanied by a leaf of descriptive text with the exception of more for the last few maps, last 4 sheet map of Inland Navigation as one folded and laid on contemporary linen, occasional light foxing, otherwise in good condition.

Sidney Hall (1788?-1831) began his career as an engraver for the Arrowsmith family. Hall was a prolific engraver of the period and according to Worms and Baynton-Williams 'was almost certainly the first engraver to use the new harder steel for map work, using plates manufactured by the Jacob Perkins process as early as 1821'. His first county maps were those published by Samuel Leigh in 1820 in 'Leigh’s New Picture of England and Wales', a miniature county atlas which proved a success. This series of maps was engraved for John Gorton's 'Topographical Dictionary' issued in parts from 1831-32. The publishers were Chapman and Hall, there is no known familial link between the two Hall's. We cannot conclude for sure that Sidney Hall engraved all of the plates as his will was proved 26 March 1831. The dates on the maps vary between 1830 and 1832. His widow Selina Hall was also an engraver and as she signed hers 'S. Hall' it is difficult to tell. The earliest edition of the maps in an atlas was the ‘British Atlas’, first published by Chapman and Hall in 1833. For this the date in the imprints was updated to 1833 and one or two minor alterations made to the plates. The maps are bound alphabetically with those of Yorkshire, Ireland, Scotland and Wales consisting of two plates. A final general map of 'Inland Navigation' backed on cloth is bound at the end with a four-sheet list of canals and railways. As early as 1833 the list records 36 railways, each recording the date of opening. Provenance: with the bookseller's label of 'Jarrold & Sons London Street Norwich' pasted inside front cover as well as the ex Libris of Taylor. Carroll (1996) 94; Chubb (1927) 451; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

HALL, Sidney : A New British Atlas; Comprising A Series of 54 Maps, Constructed from the most Recent Surveys and Engraved by Sidney Hall

Chapman & Hall 186, Strand, London, 1836

Quarto (265 x 205 mm.), modern quarter calf, paper boards, spine with gilt ruled compartments and date, gilt calf title, later endpapers, but retaining the original front free one. With engraved title page, List of Maps and 47 steel engraved maps on 54 sheets all in early wash colour, each accompanied by a leaf of descriptive text except for the last few maps with more, last 4 sheet map of Inland Navigation as one folded and laid on contemporary linen, occasional light foxing, otherwise in good condition.

Sidney Hall (1788?-1831) was a prolific engraver of the period and according to Worms and Baynton-Williams 'was almost certainly the first engraver to use the new harder steel plates for map work, using plates manufactured by the Jacob Perkins process as early as 1821'. His first county maps were those published by Samuel Leigh in 1820 in 'Leigh’s New Picture of England and Wales', a miniature county atlas which proved a success.This series of maps was engraved for John Gorton's 'Topographical Dictionary' issued in parts from 1831-32 and published by Chapman and Hall. There is no known familial link between the two Hall's. We cannot conclude for sure that Sidney Hall engraved all of the plates, as his will was proved 26 March 1831. The dates on the maps vary between 1830 and 1832. His widow Selina Hall was also an engraver and as she signed hers 'S. Hall', it is difficult to tell. The first edition of the 'New British Atlas' was issued in 1833. An intervening edition was published in 1834. The maps are bound alphabetically with a 4 sheet Inland Navigation. Ireland, Scotland and Wales are in 2 sheets as is that of Yorkshire. These two sheet maps are bound opposing each other for easy reading. The maps are bound in the same order as found in Gorton’s 'Topographical Dictionary' except for England which is bound with Essex. A final general map of 'Inland Navigation' backed on cloth is bound at the end with a four-sheet list of canals and railways. As early as 1833 the list records 36 railways, each recording the date of opening. Provenance: with ownership inscription on front free endpaper of 'G. P. Goldsmith, May 1862'; Doreen Green; Clive A. Burden Ltd. Catalogue 6 (2010) item 44. Carroll (1996) 94; refer Chubb (1927) 454; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).

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