Berkshire Drawn from the Best Authorities and Regulated by Astronl. Observations by T. Kitchin Geogr. – T Kitchin – c.1769

London: Thomas Kitchin, mid-eighteenth century, c.1769.

Attractive engraved county map of Berkshire by Thomas Kitchin, Hydrographer to the King and one of the leading English cartographers of the eighteenth century. Finely engraved and enhanced with attractive early hand-colouring, the map shows the county in clear miniature detail, including towns, villages, roads, rivers, parks and surrounding county boundaries.

Reading, Newbury, Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage, Maidenhead and Windsor are all clearly identified, with the River Thames forming the county’s northern and eastern boundary. Neighbouring Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire are shown, giving the map strong regional context. A decorative title cartouche appears upper right, accompanied by rural and agricultural motifs, with a compass rose below and an explanatory key detailing roads, market towns, villages, parks and county boundaries.

Kitchin’s county maps were issued in popular Georgian atlases and remain collectable for their clarity, compact scale and decorative charm. This example survives in near fine condition overall, with crisp engraving, pleasing early hand-colouring and wide margins. Only light age toning and minimal handling wear.

Approx. sheet size: c. 38.4 x 20.8 cm.

Institutional examples are held by the British Library, Bodleian Libraries and National Library of Scotland. Superior examples with good colour and margins are increasingly desirable within the decorative map trade.

Location: Map Drawer B

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