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OWEN, John & BOWEN, Emanuel : Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improv’d; Being a Correct Coppy of Mr Ogilby’s Actual Survey of all ye Direct & Principal Cross Roads in England and Wales ..

Thomas Bowles & Emanuel Bowen, London, 1720

Octavo (200 x 135 mm.), full contemporary calf with ornate blind and gilt panelled boards, rebacked with raised bands, each compartment blind ruled, burgundy calf gilt title, later endpapers. With title page, pp. (6), 273 engraved plates of road strips and county maps printed back to back, engraved throughout. Dark impressions, in good condition.

FIRST EDITION, SECOND ISSUE of Emanuel Bowen’s Britannia Depicta. Bowen (1693?-1767) was one of the most prominent figures in English cartography during the middle of the eighteenth century. In 1720, he co-published with John Owen the Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improv’d. It was an instant success running to numerous editions over the next 50 years. Hodson, in his detailed study of the atlas concluded that there were six different editions bearing a title page dated 1720. The first can however, be broken into three further variants, only two of which Hodson identified. This is an example of the second (first recorded) issue with the variant coat of arms on p. 94, altered to reflect those of Newton in Hampshire, not Newton in Lancashire. The first two variants both lack the numbers to the Rapes on the map of Sussex itself, they are shown in the key only. Provenance: manuscript notation of 'E: Bertie' dated 1720 on front free endpaper; private English collection. Bennett (1996) pp. 40-1; Harley (1970); Hodson (1984-97) 149; Kingsley (1982) 23.1; Shirley (2004) T.Bow 1a issue not cited.

OWEN, John & BOWEN, Emanuel : Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improv’d; Being a Correct Coppy of Mr Ogilby’s Actual Survey of all ye Direct & Principal Cross Roads in England and Wales ..

Thomas Bowles, London, 1736

Octavo (195 x 135 mm.), full contemporary calf, gilt panelled, rebacked with ribbed spine, gilt ruled compartments each with ornate gilt floral feature, with green calf title label attached, marbled endpapers. With title page, pp. 5, (3), 273, with 273 engraved plates of road strips and county maps printed back-to-back. Title page with small tear, maps of Berkshire and Radnor inserted from another example, otherwise a clean example.

Emanuel Bowen (1693?-1767)was one of the most prominent figures in English cartography during the middle of the eighteenth century. Since the highly influential 'Britannia' by John Ogilby had been first published in 1675 no smaller version had been issued. Then in the period 1718-20 a flush of four projects were conceived, three of which were completed. In 1720 Owen and Bowen’s 'Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improv'd' was published. This was unquestionably the most successful. It is the only one of the three to include a set of county maps with the road strips. The author of the text was John Owen an antiquarian who had been admitted to the Middle Temple in 1718. Although known as the Owen and Bowen atlas it was in fact published jointly by Bowen and John Bowles (1701-79). It had a long life running to numerous editions; this is an example of the 1736 issue. This edition was also available for a while. Hodson identified 3 issues, this being an example of the first with the preliminary leaves bearing signatures A and A2 with the catchword on the first of LONDON. Provenance: manuscript inscription on verso of plate 273 dated April 16, 1799; over an earlier inscription of James Forrest; private English collection. Bennett (1996) pp. 40-1; Carroll (1996) 23; Chubb (1927) 153; Harley (1970) Introduction to 'Britannia Depicta'; Hodson (1984-97) 159; Shirley (2004) T.Bow 1i.

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