SDUK Map of South Africa Mapmaker(s)_London Transport

SDUK Map of South Africa Mapmaker(s)_London TransportThis map of South Africa, including an inset of Cape Town, was engraved by John & Charles Walker. It was published by the SDUK. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was founded in 1826 with the high minded aim of making 'useful' information available to the self taught. Some of the material was decidedly abstruse, subscribers fell away and the Society was wound up in 1848; however, the series of 209 maps published over a 14 year period

it was issued in 27 parts from 1854-62 and first published as a complete atlas in 1864

published in ‘Mercurio geografico’

or necessary to the common business of life'

each dissected into 21 panels and laid on linen

who popularised the Turkish bath in Britain and owned a chalet on Mont Blanc

when the United Provinces still led Europe in the field of map-making

with British possessions coloured red

Ukraine and parts of Poland

The Victoria Line is shown as under construction

quad royal format

presumably William Swaine Chisenhall-Marsh who lived at Gaynes Park 1882-1917

and issued in various editions between 1662 and the disastrous 1672 fire which destroyed most of the firm’s copper printing-plates and effectively put them out of business