Fragment of engraved copper plate with 1674 John Ogilby map on recto and right-reading text and heraldic images on verso.

Fragment of engraved copper plate with 1674 John Ogilby map on recto and right-reading text and heraldic images on verso.

London:

[n.p.],

ca.1698.

Gift of Terry Belanger.

This modest fragment of copper plate bears a portion of a cartouche of the map of Ipswich completed under the supervision of John Ogilby (1600–1676) in 1674 and finally published in 1698. The map of Ipswich was part of his ambitious and uncompleted project to map all of Britain, which took on the form of his Britannia (1675), the first modern European road map. The reverse side of the copper plate was used by an apprentice to practice engraving heraldic coats of arms, capitals, and round hand.

From the collection of Rare Book School