1835 S.D.U.K. City Map or Plan of Florence or Firenze, Italy
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Description: This map is a steel plate engraving, dating to 1835 by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, S.D.U.K. It represents the city of Florence or Firenze, Italy. Depicts the old city of Firenze in considerable detail and give attention to most important streets, buildings and monuments. Along the bottom of the map there appears drawings of the facades of 16 Florentine structures entitled "A comparison of the principal buildings in Florence." Published for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, by Baldwin and Cradock of Paternoster Row, London, 1835.
Date: 1835
Source: Maps of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. Vol1. 1844.
References: Branch, M.C. An atlas of rare city maps, p. 58-59. Phillips 794. Rumsey 0890.176.
Cartographer: The "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge" was founded in 1828 at the instigation of idealistic British lord Henry Peter Brougham. The admirable goal of the Society was to distribute useful information via a series of publications to the English working and middle classes. It promoted self-education and the egalitarian sharing of all knowledge. While closely tied to the London University and publishing houses on the order of Baldwin & Cradock and Charles Knight, the society failed to achieve its many lofty goals in finally closed its doors in 1848. Nonetheless, it did manage to publish several extraordinary atlases of impressive detail and sophistication. Their most prominent atlas consisted of some 200 separately issued maps published by Baldwin and Cradock and sold by subscription from 1829 to 1837. Afterwards, the Society combined the maps into a single World Atlas published under the Chapman and Hall imprint. In its day, this atlas was unprecedented in its quality, scope, and inexpensiveness. Today Society, or S.D.U.K. as it is commonly known, maps are among the most impressive examples of mid 19th century English mass market cartographic publishing available. The S.D.U.K. is especially known for its beautiful and accurately detailed city plans. Click here for a list of rare maps from The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.
Size: Printed area measures 15 x 12 inches (38.1 x 30.48 centimeters)
Condition: Very good condition. Light age toning. Blank on verso.
Code: Florence-SDUK-1835 (Necessary for phone inquiries: 646-320-8650)
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