The English Atlas, Volume 1, For James II as Duke of York
Hand-drawn and coloured double-page maps heightened with gold. Owned by William 1st Earl of Portland.
Printed for Moses Pitt at the Angel in St. Pauls-Church-Yard, London, MDCLXXX. [1680]. Moses Pitt aimed to produce 4 volumes of the English Atlas but did not get further than Volume 1.
The English Atlas is from the manuscript and book collection in The Portland Collection at The Harley Foundation, on the historic Welbeck estate.
Generations of the family at Welbeck have added to the book collection, with 17th-century works collected by William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (patron of the playwright Ben Johnson) and his brother, mathematician Sir Charles Cavendish. Later additions include books and manuscripts purchased by the great 18th-century collector and bibliophile Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford.
Find out more at www.harleyfoundation.org.uk
