1840 S.D.U.K. Subscriber's Edition Map of Australia
Australia2-sduk-1840$200.00
Title
Australia in 1839.
1840 (dated) 13 x 16 in (33.02 x 40.64 cm) 1 : 12700000
1840 (dated) 13 x 16 in (33.02 x 40.64 cm) 1 : 12700000
Description
This is the 1840 first edition map of Australia issued by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge or S.D.U.K. It covers the entire continent of Australia along with Van Diemen's Land or Tasmania in 1839. An interesting map issued just as most of the earth's non-polar shore has been explored. Gone are many of the errors of the previous century with the coastlines accurately rendered. Inland though, much remained confused. Vast stretches of unmapped territory and speculative cartography fill central Australia. The Colony of South Australia, established in 1834, is the only colony marked with an outline boundary. The map also notes several other colonies including West Australia, established in 1829, New South Wales, established in 1788, and North Australia, established in 1838. It identifies the years and names of the explorers who discovered these lands, including Cook in 1770, Flinders in 1802, Nuyt in 1627, de Witt in 1628 and Abel Tasman in 1642, among others
This map was part of A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, issued by subscription by the S.D.U.K. Each folder in the series would contain a set of two maps bound together. The map accompanying this folder, not included here, was of Asia. Original folder included the names of committee members of the ‘Society’, a list of maps already published, the folder number, which is this case was LXXXI, the contents and the printer and publication details. The folder at the time was priced at 1 shilling or 1 shilling 6 pence for maps colored. This map was engraved and printed by J. and C. Walker. Printed by William Clowes and Sons and published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in their Feb 17, 1840 subscriber’s edition folder.
This map was part of A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, issued by subscription by the S.D.U.K. Each folder in the series would contain a set of two maps bound together. The map accompanying this folder, not included here, was of Asia. Original folder included the names of committee members of the ‘Society’, a list of maps already published, the folder number, which is this case was LXXXI, the contents and the printer and publication details. The folder at the time was priced at 1 shilling or 1 shilling 6 pence for maps colored. This map was engraved and printed by J. and C. Walker. Printed by William Clowes and Sons and published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in their Feb 17, 1840 subscriber’s edition folder.
CartographerS
The "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge" (1826 - 1848) was a Whiggish organization founded in 1828 at the instigation of idealistic British lord Henry Peter Brougham. The admirable goal of the Society was to distribute useful information via a series of publications to the English working and middle classes. It promoted self-education and the egalitarian sharing of all knowledge. While closely tied to the London University and publishing houses on the order of Baldwin and Cradock, Chapman and Hall, and Charles Knight, the Society failed to achieve its many lofty goals in finally closed its doors in 1848. Most likely the failure of the Society resulted from its publications being too expensive for its intended lower to middle class markets and yet not large and fine enough to appeal to the aristocratic market. Nonetheless, it did manage to publish several extraordinary atlases of impressive detail and sophistication. Their most prominent atlas consisted of some 200 separately issued maps initially published by Baldwin and Cradock and sold by subscription from 1829 to 1844. Afterwards, the Society combined the maps into a single world atlas published under the Chapman and Hall imprint. In its day, this atlas was unprecedented in its quality, scope, and cost effectiveness. Today Society, or S.D.U.K. as it is commonly known, maps are among the most impressive examples of mid-19th century English mass market cartographic publishing available. The S.D.U.K. is especially known for its beautiful and accurately detailed city plans. More by this mapmaker...
John Walker (1787 - April 19, 1873) was a British map seller, engraver, lithographer, hydrographer, geographer, draughtsman, and publisher active in London during the 19th century. Walker published both nautical charts and geographical maps. His nautical work is particularly distinguished as he was an official hydrographer for the British East India Company, a position, incidentally, also held by his father of the same name. Walker's maps, mostly published after 1827, were primarily produced with his brothers Charles Walker and Alexander Walker under the imprint J. and C. Walker. Among their joint projects are more than 200 maps for the influential Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge Atlas (SDUK). In addition they published numerous charts for James Horsburgh and the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office, including Belcher's important map of Hong Kong and Carless' exploratory map of Karachi. The J. and C. Walker firm continued to publish after both Walkers died in the 1870s. Learn More...
Source
A Series of Maps, Modern and Ancient, Feb 17, 1840.
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (S.D.U.K.) Atlas was initially issued in parts over several years by Baldwin and Craddock to promote the society's mission of egalitarian self-education. The first S.D.U.K. began appearing in 1829 when the society contracted John Walker to produce the first proofs. The first S.D.U.K maps were produced serially by Baldwin and Craddock and issued in 2 map batches, priced at 2 shillings each. The series, originally anticipated to feature 50 maps, ultimately contained 200 and took over 14 years to produce. The initial production was completed in 1844 when the whole was issued in its first compiled atlas edition. Around 1842, following the 1837 bankruptcy of Baldwin and Craddock, publication of the atlas was taken over by the Society itself, who issued editions in 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842. Overburdened by the work of publishing, they then outsourced the publication to Chapman and Hall in 1842. Chapman and Hall produced editions in 1842, 1843, and 1844. Dissatisfied with the quality of Chapman and Hall printing, the Society turned to another publisher, Charles Knight, who issued editions under the auspices of the Society in 1844, 1845, and 1846. In 1846 Knight officially acquired the plates in his own right and reissued in revised editions until 1852, when he sold them to George Cox. Cox in turn sold them to Edward Stanford who published them from 1856 well into the 1860s. The S.D.U.K. Atlas is known for the quantity and quality of its maps. The S.D.U.K. published many maps of areas largely ignored by other publishers. The many city plans incorporated into the atlas are particularly admired and are the highlight of the S.D.U.K.'s long map publishing history. As a whole the S.D.U.K. Atlas was groundbreaking in terms of quality, scope, and being offer at a cost effective price point.
Condition
Very good. Mior spotting. Minor crease near top right quadrant. Minor damage to lower right margin, not affecting printed image. Accompanied by original subscription folder.
References
Rumsey 0890.155 (atlas edition).