Folding map of London with two panels detailing fares for the Watermen of London and the new hackney coach fares. Unusual early example from the 18th century. <br> <br>Very nice example of Sayer and Bennett’s folding map of London first issued in 1781. The map must have been successful as Sayer issued it almost annually until 1791 although there may have been later issues. It is unlikely there were many as Sayer died in 1794. <br> <br>There were also continuous revisions and updates to the map. This example bears the two panels detailing the fares of the Watermen ( who were responsible for ferrying passengers across the Thames) on the upper left as well as Hackney coaches on the upper right. The former shows the “new rates as settled by the Mayor and Aldermen of London in 1785”. This is also the last example of the map which bears the imprint of Sayer and Bennett on the lower right. After this, the next issue of 1787 shows just Robert Sayer as the publisher. John Bennett had been committed to an insane asylum in 1783 and died in 1787.
Finally, below the publisher, Sayer and Bennett list the price for this map, with one figure given for the map and another for the map “in a case for the pocket”. One of the few instances where there is a direct association with a map in a case which was designed to be carried around in a pocket. Hence the generic term of “pocket maps” often used for folding maps.
Original hand colour. Howgego 190a; this state not listed. SL