Nicol, George
George Nicol (1740 - June 25, 1828) was a Scottish bookseller and publisher active in in 18th-century London. Nicol was born in Scotland, but relocated to London in 1769 to work with his uncle, the Strand bookseller David Wilson (17?? - 1777). The two eventually became full business partners, enjoying immense success. When Wilson died in 1777, Nichol took over the business in full. In 1781, Nicol was appointed official bookseller to King George III, a position he maintained until 1820. In 1787 he relocated to Pall Mall, acquiring 51 and 58 Pall Mall, one as a shop and the other as living quarters. Around 1800, his son George Nicol joined the firm, and it was renamed George and William Nicol. When the elder Nichol died in 1828, the firm continued as William Nicol until 1855.
A Maladroit Meeting between Britain and China.
A sketch of a journey from Zhe-Hol in Tartary by land to Pekin and from thence by water to Hang-Tchoo-Foo in China.
$375.00
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This important 1796 John Barrow map of China traces the course of the British Macartney Mission after its unsuccessful meeting with the Qing Emperor Qianlong. As a diplomatic effort, the embassy failed completely, the result of mutual misunderstanding and mistrust between the Qing Court and the British. But, as this map demonstrates, the mission did allow the British to gain a much better direct understanding China's geography (more details)
A lovely palace, before it was burned and looted.
Plan of the Hall of Audience and the Adjacent Courts in the Emperor's Gardens at Yuen-Min-Yuen.
$250.00
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- DPI: 600
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A lovely example of Sir John Barrow's 1796 schematic of the main audience hall of the Yuanmingyuan or 'Old Summer Palace,' an impressive complex of palaces and gardens built for the Qing emperors just outside of Beijing. It appeared in George Leonard Staunton's An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China, recounting the Macartney Embassy, a failed British attempt to gain expanded trading and diplomatic rights in China. (more details)
First British embassy to China.
A chart of the islands to the southward of Tchu-san on the eastern coast of China.
$500.00
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This is a rare 1796 John Barrow map of modern day Zhoushan (舟山市; Tchu-San), China, prepared to illustrate the official report of the 1793 Macartney Embassy to China. The Embassy has been seen as a deeply consequential historical interaction between China and the British Empire which heralded the systematic crises China would face in the 19th century. (more details)
The best map of Macau.
A Plan of the City and Harbour of Macao A Colony of the Portugueze situated at the southern extremity of the Chinese Empire in Lat. 22 ⁰12ʹ44'' N., long. 113⁰35ʹ0'' east of Greenwich.
$1,200.00
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A stunning large-format 1796 nautical chart and city map of Macao, its harbor, and the surrounding seas. This map was drawn by Benjamin Baker based on observations collected by the George Macartney Embassy - the first British embassy to China. The map is impressively proportioned and finely engraved, offering meticulous detail of Portugal's primary entrepôt in China. This map is considered the largest and finest 18th-century map of Macao obtainable. (more details)