Isaac Basire (September 20, 1704 - August 24 1768) was a London engraver, first in a family line of prolific and well-respected engravers. His most well-known work is the frontispiece to an edition of Bailey's 1755 dictionary but he was primarily a map engraver. He was born in London to on J. Basire, a Huguenot emigre from Rouen. His son James (1730-1802), grandson James (1769-1822), and great-grandson James (1796-1869) all continued the family trade. Assigning specific works to particular members of the family is not a straightforward task, as all four Basires were engravers, one often as apprentice to his father. Thus the work of the four frequently overlapped.
