Munster - John Speed 1616

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• Cartographer - John Speed
• Title - The Province of Munster
• Date - 1610 (but 1616)
• Size - 510mm x 385mm on sheet 540mm x 410mm
  
• Condition - An early impression. Handcoloured and in good condition for its age, some staining around the outside margins, barely touching the plate area. Good Strong impression, as can be seen from the detail in the sea area. Couple of small nicks and chips around margins, but of no material consequence. Old repairs and strengthening to bottom and top centerfolds. Overall age-toning as usual, but good bright and intensely applied colour. A good early copy. 2nd Edition. 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 1616.

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 Map of Munster

Reference : Bonar Law - John Speed Maps of Ireland  - 1616

Item ID: 15414-93

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