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1830 S.D.U.K. Subscriber's Map or Plan of Ancient and Modern Rome - Set
RomeAncientModern-sduk-1830$200.00
Title
Plan of Ancient Rome. Plan of Modern Rome.
1830 (dated) 13 x 16 in (33.02 x 40.64 cm) 1 : 15840
1830 (dated) 13 x 16 in (33.02 x 40.64 cm) 1 : 15840
Description
This is a beautiful set of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge or S.D.U.K.’s 1830 first edition maps depicting the city of Rome during ancient and modern times. The first map (image top) depicts ancient Rome with the Wall of Aurelian and Honorius and the Wall of Servius Tullius (the Servian Wall) both identified. The map depicts the city in extraordinary detail labeling important ancient roads and buildings of the time. These include the baths of Antoninus Caracalla, Circus Maximus, the baths of Diodetian, the theater of Balbus, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the baths of Titus and others. The Circus of Nero (now the site of St. Peter’s is also identified. A key along the left border lists the 14 regions of ancient Rome. Along the bottom the map compares a few of the principal ancient buildings in profile view.
The second map (image bottom) depicts the modern city of Rome. Focusing on the old walled city, it includes the Vatican. Ancient sites and historic buildings are noted, including the Pantheon, the baths of Antoninus, the Coliseum, part of the baths of Titus and others are included. Also notes plazas, bridges, parks, streets and topography. A list of the 14 districts of Rome in included along the left border. The bottom of this map includes important buildings of modern Rome compared in profile.
This map is part of A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, issued by subscription. Each folder in the series would contain a set of two maps bound together. These two maps were issued in folder no. 9. Original folder includes the names of committee members of the ‘Society’, the contents and the printer and publication details. This map was published by Baldwin and Cradock and issued by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in their Oct. 1, 1830 subscriber’s edition folder. The folder at the time was priced at 1 shilling plain or 1 shilling 6 pence colored.
The second map (image bottom) depicts the modern city of Rome. Focusing on the old walled city, it includes the Vatican. Ancient sites and historic buildings are noted, including the Pantheon, the baths of Antoninus, the Coliseum, part of the baths of Titus and others are included. Also notes plazas, bridges, parks, streets and topography. A list of the 14 districts of Rome in included along the left border. The bottom of this map includes important buildings of modern Rome compared in profile.
This map is part of A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, issued by subscription. Each folder in the series would contain a set of two maps bound together. These two maps were issued in folder no. 9. Original folder includes the names of committee members of the ‘Society’, the contents and the printer and publication details. This map was published by Baldwin and Cradock and issued by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in their Oct. 1, 1830 subscriber’s edition folder. The folder at the time was priced at 1 shilling plain or 1 shilling 6 pence colored.
CartographerS
The "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge" (1826 - 1848) was a Whiggish organization 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 and Cradock, Chapman and Hall, and Charles Knight, the Society failed to achieve its many lofty goals in finally closed its doors in 1848. Most likely the failure of the Society resulted from its publications being too expensive for its intended lower to middle class markets and yet not large and fine enough to appeal to the aristocratic market. 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 initially published by Baldwin and Cradock and sold by subscription from 1829 to 1844. 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 cost effectiveness. 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. More by this mapmaker...
Baldwin and Cradock (fl. c. 1810 - 1860) were London based publishers working in the early to mid 19th century. They are best known for their publication of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge's ground breaking subscription atlas. They also published John Thomson's magnificent New General Atlas from 1814 - c. 1820. In addition to their cartographic corpus, the firm had wide ranging publishing interests in many other areas, including books, broadsides, and an investment in Blackwoods Magazine. They had their offices at 47 Paternoster Row, London, England. This firm also published under the imprint Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy and Cradock and Joy. Learn More...
John Walker (1787 - April 19, 1873) was a British map seller, engraver, lithographer, hydrographer, geographer, draughtsman, and publisher active in London during the 19th century. Walker published both nautical charts and geographical maps. His nautical work is particularly distinguished as he was an official hydrographer for the British East India Company, a position, incidentally, also held by his father of the same name. Walker's maps, mostly published after 1827, were primarily produced with his brothers Charles Walker and Alexander Walker under the imprint J. and C. Walker. Among their joint projects are more than 200 maps for the influential Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge Atlas (SDUK). In addition they published numerous charts for James Horsburgh and the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office, including Belcher's important map of Hong Kong and Carless' exploratory map of Karachi. The J. and C. Walker firm continued to publish after both Walkers died in the 1870s. Learn More...
Source
A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, Oct. 1, 1830.
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (S.D.U.K.) Atlas was initially issued in parts over several years by Baldwin and Craddock to promote the society's mission of egalitarian self-education. The first S.D.U.K. began appearing in 1829 when the society contracted John Walker to produce the first proofs. The first S.D.U.K maps were produced serially by Baldwin and Craddock and issued in 2 map batches, priced at 2 shillings each. The series, originally anticipated to feature 50 maps, ultimately contained 200 and took over 14 years to produce. The initial production was completed in 1844 when the whole was issued in its first compiled atlas edition. Around 1842, following the 1837 bankruptcy of Baldwin and Craddock, publication of the atlas was taken over by the Society itself, who issued editions in 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842. Overburdened by the work of publishing, they then outsourced the publication to Chapman and Hall in 1842. Chapman and Hall produced editions in 1842, 1843, and 1844. Dissatisfied with the quality of Chapman and Hall printing, the Society turned to another publisher, Charles Knight, who issued editions under the auspices of the Society in 1844, 1845, and 1846. In 1846 Knight officially acquired the plates in his own right and reissued in revised editions until 1852, when he sold them to George Cox. Cox in turn sold them to Edward Stanford who published them from 1856 well into the 1860s. The S.D.U.K. Atlas is known for the quantity and quality of its maps. The S.D.U.K. published many maps of areas largely ignored by other publishers. The many city plans incorporated into the atlas are particularly admired and are the highlight of the S.D.U.K.'s long map publishing history. As a whole the S.D.U.K. Atlas was groundbreaking in terms of quality, scope, and being offer at a cost effective price point.
Condition
Very good. Set of two maps. Some toning at places. Minor foxing. Original platemark visible. Accompanied by original subscription folder.
References
Rumsey 0890.201, 0890.202 (atlas editions).