First Edition of Kerry Lee's Pictorial Map of Post-War London

"London - The Bastion of Liberty",

This is the scarce large-format first edition of Kerry Lee's spectacular pictorial map of post-war London. A cartouche below the title sets the tone with a wartime quote from Winston Churchill: "We would rather see London in ruins and ashes than that it should be tamely and abjectly enslaved." The image of the city here is bright and triumphant, with nary a ruin or ash to be seen - appropriate for a map marketed overseas to encourage tourism in the aftermath of the war. Aside from the Churchill quote, the only evidence of the war is a small vignette near the top of the map that celebrates the bravery of the men and women of the Civil Defence Service during the Blitz. The neighborhoods and notable locales of the city are rendered in loving detail, and throughout the map there are cartoon portraits depicting the animals of the zoo, "Popular Rogues of the Past," writers, musicians, movie stars, artists, Chaucer's pilgrims, Dickens' characters, and a variety of historical figures. The decorative border features coats of arms and vignettes of sites of interest, including Runnymede, Windsor Castle, Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon, and the airport. Crowning the map is the Royal Arms of Great Britain.

As with many pictorial maps of the era, Lee's map is indebted to the great MacDonald Gill "Wonderground" map of London (1914). It was the artist's second map of the city, following London Town (1938), a colorful railway map. Two more editions were printed in a reduced format circa 1951 and 1955. Lee also created other English city maps, including maps of Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Liverpool, and Leeds. Just as you will find illustrations of Georg Hoefnagel within his own compositions for Braun and Hogenberg, Lee appears signing his name beside his dog in the bottom right hand corner of the map. Printed by Chromoworks, Ltd. and published by the Travel Association of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

References:

Condition: B

There are four edge tears that enter the map image at right, the longest of which measures 6.25", all of which have been closed on verso with archival materials. The varnish is lightly toned and there are a few short tears south of Hyde Park, which have also been closed with archival tape.