Blome 1681

149mm h x 212mm w

Blome 1681

Speed's Maps Epitomiz'd

These maps were engraved at about the same time as his Britannia of 1673, but it was 8 years before he published this smaller scale atlas, capitalizing on the fame of Speed but having no connection with that.

Displayed scale of 5 miles = 21mm, or 6.0 miles/inch; scale actual = 8.1 miles/inch, or 1:500,000.

This atlas was more successful than his 1673 one - it was reprinted (under other names) until about 1750, whereas the Britannia was not reprinted after 1677.

As with his larger 1673 plates, these are truly ugly, crudely executed maps. They don't look any better when Taylor used them in 1717.

© Peter Walker 2013