HANDSOME HAND-COLORED LARGE 17TH-CENTURY JOHN SPEED MAP OF "THE INVASIONS OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND"

(IRELAND) (ENGLAND) SPEED, John. The Invasions of England and Ireland. With all Their Civill Wars Since the Conquest. (London): G. Humble, (1627 or later, but before 1662). One sheet, measuring 21 by 15-1/2 inches, engraving on recto, letterpress printing verso. Handsomely matted and window framed, entire piece measures 25 by 20 inches. $4500.

Very handsome hand-colored 17th-century John Speed map showing the various invasions of England and Ireland, With inset text referring to Ireland, and vignettes showing battles on land and the progress of the Spanish Armada up the English Channel in July 1588, vividly hand-colored in outline and attractively framed.

Originally issued as part of Speed's Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World, the first general atlas published in England, published in 1627 as a companion to his Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. These popular works continued to be published throughout the 17th century. As early as 1598, Speed was deemed a master cartographer for his "very rare and ingenious capacities in drawing and setting forth of maps and genealogies, and other very excellent inventions" (DNB). "Loose maps from the Prospect may occasionally be found without the reverse text, suggesting that the maps were also sold separately" (Shirley T.SPE-2a). This copy has the accompanying text on the verso ("A Briefe Description of the Civill Warres, and Battails fought in England, Wales, and Ireland"), suggesting that it was originally intended to be sold as part of the Prospect. "Derived from an earlier map by Speed, c. 1601" (Shirley). Editions were published with the maps largely unchanged by George Humble in 1627 and 1631, and by his successor William Humble in 1646 and 1650-54; this map, with George Humble's name in the imprint, is certainly from one of those editions. When Roger Rea published his edition in 1662, he erased Humble's name from the maps' imprints and replaced it with his own. Shirley T.SPE-2a-c.

Early repairs along margins and central fold on verso, hand-coloring bright. A lovely framed historical map.