Antique Map of England and Wales by Homann Heirs (c.1720)

Description: Antique map titled 'Magnae Britanniae pars Meridionalis in qua Regnum Angliae (..).' Detailed map of England and Wales by J. B. Homann, ca. 1720, based on Visscher's map of 1695, delineating counties and showing the boundaries of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The map is decorated with a beautiful cartouche surrounded by angels and the British coat of arms. Two other angels hold the Welsh armorial shield and at bottom is a large vignette of the king holding court.

Source unknown, to be determined.

Artists and Engravers: Made by 'Homann Heirs' after an anonymous artist. Made by an anonymous engraver after 'Homann Heirs'. Following the long period of Dutch domination, the Homann family became the most important map publishers in Germany in the eighteenth century, the business being founded by J.B. Homann in Nuremberg about the year 1702. Soon after publishing his first atlas in 1707 he became a member of the Berlin academy of Sciences and in 1715 he was appointed Geographer to the Emperor. After the founder's death in 1724, the firm was continued under the direction of his son until 1730 and was then bequeathed to his heirs on the condition that it trades under the name of Homann Heirs. The firm remained in being until the next century and had a wide influence on map publishing in Germany. Apart from the atlases the firm published a very large number of individual maps. The Homanns produced a Neuer Atlas in 1714, a Grosser Atlas in 1737, and an Atlas Maior with about 300 maps in 1780. They also issued a special Atlas of Germany with full sized plans of principal cities, school atlases and an Atlas of Silesia in 1750 with 20 maps.