Somers Town, London: Joseph Allen & Robert Rowe, 1811. Original hand colour, 93 x 63mm. A rare first edition of this playing card map of Kent, decorated with a foliate border containing the title. The game was played by taking tricks by playing a county adjoining the card on the deck. The England & Wales map was included as an aid, with a different coloured back. In this first edition each card has the publishers inscription 'Pub. by J. Allen, 3 Hampden Str. Sommers's Town 1811' under the title at top, and 'Also by R. Rowe, No. 19 Bedford Str. Bedford Row London' in the bottom border. In the second edition, later the same year, Rowe's inscription had been replaced by a panel of topographical information; apparently the partnership of Allen & Rowe had been dissolved. The maps next appeared in J. Thomson's 'New English Atlas' in 1823, and finally in Orlando Hodgson's 'The Pocket tourist & English atlas, being a new and complete set of county maps', 1827, by which time the maps were hardly 'new'. Surprisingly it was Hodson's edition that was the most familiar to the map world: it was not until 1985 that London map and playing card dealer Yasha Beresiner discovered this playing-card format and recognised the connection. MAP COLLECTOR: 30, p.40-1; KING: Miniature Antique Maps, p192 + Addenda. Seller Inventory # 18725

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Bibliographic Details

Title: Kent.

Publication Date: 1811

Edition: 1st Edition

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Antique Map Dealer, since 1992, specialist in: Original Antique Maps, Rare Maps, Sea Charts, Antique Prints, Wall Maps, Celestial Maps, Globes and Atlases. Our Gallery is located in the center of London opposite Sotheby's auction house, between Oxford Circus and Bond Street. Visitors are welcome, our opening ours are: Monday-Friday 10 am to 6 PM, Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM.

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Altea Gallery Ltd
35 Saint George Street, London, W1S 2FN, United Kingdom

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