Sheet 62 and 72, Old Series 1" eight maps joined. 1880s. Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire: Tamworth, Dudley, Birmingham, Ashby de la Zouche, Ashbourne. Hand-coloured engraving

Sheet  62 and 72, Old Series 1" eight maps joined. 1880s. Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire: Tamworth, Dudley, Birmingham, Ashby de la Zouche, Ashbourne. Hand-coloured engraving, 130.5 x 88cm. Some dates trimmed in the joining. Topography from 62sw & se is 1833, geology from 61sw & se is 1855. Issue stamps on  72nw & ne 1910 & 1907. Cut, mounted on linen, and folded to 21.5 x 15.5cm between marbled covers, fitting into red cloth-covered card sleeve 22 x 16 x 2cm. The sleeve is worn and split at the bottom front edge. The map is slightly soiled and age-toned but colours bright. Linen sound. Estate boundaries (coal) in SW around Cannock Chase. Numerous annotations in margins in pencil and ink by mining engineer owner. In good condition.

About the England & Wales One Inch Old Series

The Geological Survey of England and Wales used the Old Series of the Ordnance Survey topographic map at a scale of one inch to the mile as its basemap, initially. These engraved basemaps were published and revised between 1805 and 1885; the sheet sizes varied and the layout and numbering system were eccentric. The Old Series geological maps were hand-coloured and without geological sections, which were published separately. The GS of E&W published the Old Series from 1850 to 1900, when it switched to the colour printing and the New Series one inch maps. However, old stock of the Old Series continued to be issued, hand-coloured, until the 1930s.

See also: Index Map for England & Wales One Inch Old Series.