1832 S.D.U.K. Map of London & Environs, England
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Description: A difficult to find map of the vicinity of London, England. Depicts the London area from Kingston and Hamton Court Park in the southwest to Stanmore in the northwest, Hennault Forest in the northeast and St. Marys Cray and Kevingtown in the southeast. A red circle around central London indicates the “Extent of twopenny post delivery.” Crisp detail notes individual buildings, factories, kilns, butchers, farms, palaces, etc. Printed by Baldwin & Cradock of Paternoster Row, London, for the Society of for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge on February 1st 1832.
Date: 1832 (dated)
Source: Maps of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. Vol 1. 1844.
References: Rumsey 0890.185.
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 15.5 x 12.5 inches (39.37 x 31.75 centimeters)
Condition: Very good condition. Part of title cropped from upper margin, as is common with this particular map. Minor discoloration to left margin, does not extend into printed area.
Code: LondonEnvirons-SDUK-1832 (Necessary for phone inquiries: 646-320-8650)
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