CL - Geography and Cartography

2003

CL -- Geography and Cartography

London: A Cartographic History 1746–1950: 200 Years of Folding Maps. Comp. Lucinda Boyle. Wycombe, Buckinghamshire: Countrywide Editions, 2002. xi, 161 p. ill. 32 cm. ISBN 0-9543893-0-1: £95. (Bernard J. Shapero, 32 Saint George Str., London W1S 2EA, UK, e-mail: rarebooks@shapero.com) [03-1-245]

The 498 entries in this catalog describe the collection of folding maps that the banker Joel Tabor, who died in 1997, built up over half a century. The entries are organized chronologically, which allows the reader to gain a picture not only of London’s development, but also of the development of cartography. The important stages in London’s growth are all represented here: the expansion in the early 19th century, the building of the railroads, the urbanization that began in the wake of the 1851 Exposition, expansion of the water and sewer systems in the second half of the 19th century, and construction of new transit systems such as the Underground (beginning in 1863).

The generous entries provide not only bibliographical information, but also note scale, dimensions of leaves, and the exact geographical limits of the areas shown in the maps. The state of preservation for each map is noted, and it is clear that this volume is in fact intended as a sales catalog. Unfortunately the quality of the many colored reproductions is poor. The appendix contains an index of cartographers and map publishers, biographical notes on major cartographers, and a very brief bibliography. Libraries that hold standard bibliographies on the cartography of London will want to acquire this volume for its value in supplementing the information in those bibliographies. [sh/crc]

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