Wyld's New Plan of London, (Map.) (Great Exhibition.) Travel & Topography

FIRST EDITION, first state, printed and hand coloured map, title in French, English and German in top border, imprint and scale in bottom, (450 x 840 mm), divided into 40 sections, mounted onto waxed linen, folding into publisher's blind embossed and gilt lettered maroon cloth wraps with cover title; wrappers a little shaken and sunned, but good. The first edition of this quintessential Victorian map of London, published to coincide with the Great Exhibition, by James Wyld, member of Parliament for Bodmin and proprietor of a flourishing map business in the Strand. 'This map passed through many editions but was rarely corrected or updated. The Crystal Palace, removed to Sydenham in 1852, continued to be shown in Hyde Park on it for another ten years and Wyde's own 'Monster Globe' in Leicester Square, though pulled down in 1862, continues to be shown on editions issued subsequent to that date' (Hyde p.1). In this first issue however the map is properly representative. It extends to the compass points of Islington, Brixton, Canning Town and Holland Park, with an illustrated border containing vignettes of London landmarks. Hyde 25(1)