London's Great Fire of 1666 provided an opportunity to rebuild and expand, and by 1700 London was one of the greatest cities in the world. Its population of over 500,000 dwarfed the next most populous city, Norwich, by a factor of 15 to 1. The city was, however, a very unhealthy place. More people died each year than were born. With contaminated drinking water, the streets acting as open sewers and the choking atmosphere, diseases such as Cholera, Smallpox and Tuberculosis were widespread. Two out of three Londoners had died by their mid teens. To maintain the population and lured by wages at least double those elsewhere thousands of young migrants flocked to the city from all over the Kingdom. With the development of the turnpike roads in the 1750’s and the advance of coach building technology, principally of axles and springs, long distance travel became more feasible and comfortable. Building took place along these roads and gradually the surrounding villages were linked together. By 1800 London was undisputedly the greatest city on earth, the first city of 1,000,000 inhabitants, the heart of an expanding empire trading with the entire world. By 1850 the population had grown to about 2,500,000 living mainly within the confines of what is now central London.

Unlike most antique maps that were bound into books and atlases, residing on library shelves for the past few hundred years and only occasionally being taken down and read, folding maps were practical items for use on the open road. The development of the roads and canals relied on improved surveying techniques that in turn led to more accurate maps. The size and the rapid expansion of London and other cities meant that good maps were essential to anyone wishing to travel around the city and beyond without getting lost. As the number of travellers grew so did the demand for maps, which had to be large enough to read but small enough to carry around. They had to be robust, a purely paper map would soon disintegrate with constant opening and closing. The solution was to dissect the map and lay it down on linen or calico, which greatly extended the maps life, a slipcase often being provided for further protection. Nevertheless they had a high mortality rate and as London and the road network expanded rapidly they soon became out of date and were discarded.

Folding maps have the romance of the open road about them. Did the original owner of Paterson's Twenty four miles round London become nervous as he road home late one dark and rainy November night across Hounslow Heath, a notorious haunt of highwaymen and the present day site of London's Heathrow airport. Did he become aware of someone following him? As he quickened his pace did they? Did he make it home safe and sound? Who knows, maybe he never went near the Heath, but when I look at these maps, some of them battered, falling to pieces, damp stained and scuffed, I wonder what stories their original owners could tell.

Top of Page

About us and why re-issue?

For many years we have run a gallery. During that time we sold, among other things, antique folding maps. Over the years we came up against an increasing problem. Replacing stock of "ordinary" antique maps was fairly easy and while selling the antique folding maps was not a problem, replacing sold stock was. Because of their scarcity finding these maps became very difficult, if not impossible, and now many of them are worth £1000's. We then thought about re-issuing them. Not being able to find anyone to make them for us we decided to do it ourselves. It took a while to get them to look "right" and we like to think we have achieved it. We are a very small business and the work is quite labour intensive so we do not produce many a week and of late we are making more and more "one offs", such as the special Greenwood map of 1827, see "Examples of Framed Maps". Most of our work is exported, especially to countries like the United States where there is a large population interested in their roots, but also to countries like Japan and Italy.

Apart from their scarcity exposing the original maps to light would inevitably lead to their further deterioration, the original colouring being hand applied using fugitive watercolours. The bespoke re-issues can be displayed while a allowing the original maps to be preserved in a secure environment. Each one is laid down by hand onto calico or linen and the pigment inks used are lightfast. As we produce the maps we will add them to the site. If you are looking for a map of a particular country or have any queries please contact us by clicking on the email link above.

Back to Home Page

Pay us securely with any major credit card through PayPal.

You can find us at the Newark and Ardingly International Antique Fairs.
At Newark we are in the George Stephenson Pavillion stand 34
At Ardingly we are in the Robins Building stand 51

Newark and Ardingly Antique Fair Dates

BETWEEN FAIRS MAPS CAN BE SEEN BY APPOINTMENT AT:
Amberley Gallery, 14 - 16 High Street, Harefield, Middx, UB9 6BU, United Kingdom.
Telephone: 0791 338 3346 of if no reply (adding 0044 if calling from overseas) on 01895 824394

Photographs and a very brief history of Harefield

DIRECTIONS BY ROAD TO AMBERLEY GALLERIES FROM THE M25
We are 10 minutes from the M25/M40 junction.

Come off the M25 and take the M40 to London.
Leave the M40 at the next junction which is within just 2 minutes.
Take the A40 to Gerrards Cross and Watford keeping to the right hand lane.
After about 1/2 a mile turn right at the first set of lights on to the A412.
Proceed forwards until you go under a railway bridge and then turn right at the lights.
Proceed forwards for about a mile and then turn left at the mini roundabout.
After about 1 more mile you arrive in Harefield High Street.
NOTE: There is a speed camera on the hill.
We are on the left about half way down the very small High Street.
You can park free in the street or we have parking behind the Gallery.

Back to Aldercopse Home Page

**************************************************************************************