Title: ‘A New Geological Map of England and Wales, with the inland navigations; exhibiting the districts of coal and other sites of mineral tonnage.’
Creator: William Smith (1769-1839) and John Cary (1755-1835)
Description: Following the poor sales of William Smith’s 1815 geological map ‘A Delineation of the Strata of England & Wales…’, his publisher John Cary issued a smaller version entitled ‘A New Geological Map of England and Wales, with the inland navigations; exhibiting the districts of coal and other sites of mineral tonnage’. The original 1815 Map measured (when joined) 259cm x 176cm at a scale of 5 miles to the inch, with the most basic edition available for the cost of £5 5s. This new ‘reduced’ map measured a more modest 74 cm x 60 cm, was at a scale of 15 miles to the inch and the cheapest edition could be had for 14 shillings – a far more commercial enterprise. How well the edition did is unclear, but it was known to have been reissued in 1820, 1824, 1827 and 1828.
The copy which the Society holds is from 1827 but is identical to the 1820 edition. It is sectioned and mounted on linen in order to fit into a handy pocket sized box – this is the travelling edition which would have cost 18 shillings when new.
Publisher: John Cary
Date: 1827
Format: Hand colouring on engraved base
Image reference: 07-151
Size of original: 78 cm x 64 cm
Recommended print size: Up to 100 x 70cm