Africae described

John Speed's exquisite map of Africa embellished with miniature city views along the upper border and costumed figures on both sides. Tangiers, Ceuta, Algiers, Tunis, Alexandria, Cairo, Mozambique, and a generic port in the Canary Islands are depicted in miniature bird's-eye views, reduced from larger maps in Braun & Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum. The costumed figures include inhabitants of Morocco, Senegambia, the Congo, Egypt, Abyssinia, Mozambique, South Africa, and Madagascar.



John Speed was the most prominent and respected English map maker of the 17th century. He produced the first ever atlas of the world in English. It was attached as a supplement to his British county atlas and collectively the whole work was known as A Theater of the Empire of Great Britaine and a Prospect of the Most Famous parts of the World. This map, therefore, is the first English atlas map of Africa.



Although his atlas was intended for the English market, the maps were engraved and prepared in Amsterdam as there were no engravers with sufficient skills to do the work in England at the time. As a result, the map is heavily influenced by the Dutch style, especially with the inclusion of the sumptuous illustrated borders, generally only found on Dutch maps. The quality of the engraving is stunning, far superior to any other English maps of the period and on par with the finest Dutch Golden Age maps. This particular map was engraved by Abraham Goos, a master engraver and celebrated cartographer in his own right.



One of the most endearing characteristics of this map is the charming 17th-century description of Africa printed on the reverse of the map in English [image available upon request]. It gives a detailed overview of the history, geography, politics, and customs of the kingdoms of Africa as they were known to Europeans in the early 17th century.



John Speed's striking maps are highly collectible, and continue to be as appealing to collectors today as they were to Speed's contemporaries.



Bassett and Chiswell 1676 edition. English text on verso (image available on request). Small area of loss on lower centre. [AFR6085]