A New Map of Present Asia Dedicated To His Highness William Duke of Gloucester

Asia. Charming and simplistic map design to educate a child.

This early 18th century map Asia was published as an educational aid to William, Duke of Gloucester, the only son of Queen Anne and the heir to the throne. The map is simple and decorative, perfect for a young child. Sadly, William died at the age of 11 shortly after this map was printed.

Edward Wells was a Professor of Geography and Mathematics at Christchurch College, Oxford. One of his students was the eleven year old William, Duke of Gloucester, the only child of Queen Anne of England.
In 1701, Wells published his "Treatise of Antient and Present Geography" a work with maps designed both as a guide and a teaching aid. The first half of the work contained 'antient' maps or maps whose geography and knowledge were gleaned from classical geographers such as Ptolemy, Mela and Strabo while the latter half contained 'modern' maps as known in the late 17th century. Both sets were relatively simplistic with little detail and quite crude but they proved popular at the time and the atlas was published in several issues.

Coloured. [AS1265]