Munster - John Speed 1632

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• Cartographer - John Speed
• Title - The Province of Mounster
• Date - 1610 (but 1632)
• Size - 510mm x 385mm 
• Condition - An early impression. Handcoloured, very good, slight age-toning some staining around the outside margins, and evidence of earlier framing and mounting, only apparent from verso. Left and right margins cut close to neatline. Good expert later colour. Early state. Nice Map. Scarce!

Extremely Scarce Early Map of Munster by John Speed

This is a wonderful early example of John Speed's map of Munster, which although it bears the date 1610, was actually published in 1632

Speed's maps of Ireland are amongst the most collectable and recognisable of all early maps of Ireland, and are highly sought after by collectors. 

As with all Speed maps, the decorative embellishments are particularily attractive. From the cartouche, to the boy playing a harp riding a sea monster off the Kerry coast this is a spectacular map.

Of course, it was the addition of town plans to his county maps for his atlas the Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine which singled out Speed as a great innovator and this map illustrates his work wonderfully with the two large plans of the cities of Cork and Limerick.

These town plans for the Theatre of the Empire.. were in fact the first collection of townplans of these islands, and the Theatre itself can also claim pride of place as being the first proper full scale atlas of the British Isles. The maps were engraved in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius

Highly Desirable Early Speed Map of Munster

Reference : Bonar Law - John Speed Maps of Ireland  - 1632

Item ID: 15419-93

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