This beautifully engraved map of Shropshire was issued in Christopher Saxton's county atlas of England and Wales. It is widely considered to be the first national atlas in the world, and contains a total of 35 county maps. This example comes from the first edition published in 1579, with subsequent editions occurring up to 1772. Saxton's maps were countlessly copied over the next 200 years, and it wasn't until the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain beginning in 1784 did his maps become obsolete. Cartographically, the map centers on Shrewsbury and is filled with tiny towns, rivers, mountains, and forests. The map is embellished with a decorative title cartouche surmounted by the coat of arms of Elizabeth I; and the distance scale includes the coat of arms to Thomas Seckford (Saxton's patron) and measuring dividers. Saxton's imprint appears above the distance scale. Blank verso. An important map for any British collection.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) T.SAX-1b.

Condition: B

Full contemporary color on a light toned sheet with a bunch of grapes watermark, professionally backed in linen. There is light foxing and mat burn outside of the map image. There is old, non-archival tape along the far edges of the linen on verso, but the linen has protected the paper from any impact.