"Brussels (Bruxelles)", SDUK Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge

The beginning of the nineteenth century saw a period of rapid market growth and innovation in the map publishing world. Increased literacy and public interest in new frontiers and colonies overwhelmed the market because it was oriented toward the small, affluent market of the previous century. With the intent to fill this void, The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in 1828 in London, by Lord Brougham and a group of men dedicated to the education of the aspiring working class and the Utilitarian ideal of 'Knowledge is Power.' The society produced an array of education materials, but the series of maps was one of their most successful ventures. A number of engravers and printers were used to produce the maps, which eventually exceed 200 sheets, and continued to be published after the Society as a whole ceased to function.

This crisply engraved plan of the city roughly centers on the Hotel de Ville. It shows the city from the Chausssee de Hal and the Canal de Willebroeek to Fauburg de Namur and Fauburg de Louvain. The plan names all major streets and many public places. Elevations of eight important buildings are engraved along the bottom. An inset map of the vicinity around Brussels is contained in a scroll at bottom left. Drawn by W.B. Clarke and engraved by B.R. Davies. Published by Charles Knight & Co.

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Condition: A

Contemporary color with some minor soiling and light toning almost entirely confined to the sheet's edges.