SUPERB HAND-COLORED SPEED MAP, 1610
SPEED, John. Map of Huntington both Shire and Shire Towne with the Ancient Citie of Ely Described. [London]: Performed by John Speed, 1610. Map measures 20 by 15 inches; entire piece measuring 29 inches by 23 inches.
Elaborate 1610 hand-colored Speed map of Huntington, from his landmark Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine.
With inset plans of Huntington and Ely, coats-of-arms of local families, and engraved figures in contemporary dress. "Tailor and amateur historian John Speed scored an immediate and durable success as a mapmaker with his county atlas, the Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain" (Crowell 96). "`I have put my sickle into other men's corne,' admitted Speed in a charming disclaimer… The information on his maps came largely from his predecessor Christopher Saxton, while responsibility for their overall design rested with (Jodocus) Hondius" (Abbeville, 76). Speed's journeys through England resulted in a number of original features on his maps: the inset plans of "Shire-townes and Cities," and the internal divisions of counties . "The chief attraction of his maps lies in their ornamentation, which consists of a great variety of conventionalized detail, such as, plans of cities, villages, hundreds, parks, moors, rivers, pictorial drawings of hills, figures with contemporary costumes, ornamental lettering, decorated borders and cartouches, coats of arms of prominent local families, etc." (Cox III: 577).
Fine condition, handsomely framed.