Baltic Sea antique map. Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, c1854

by London Printing & Publishing Company

Tallis and Company decorative map of the Baltic Sea.

Lovely antique map with engraved vignettes of Kronstadt and Revel, St. Petersburg and Abo, and Helsingfors. The map is surrounded by a delicately engraved border. With contemporary 1854 pen outlining of regions and pale blue wash along the coastline - and later fine colour to the vignettes of major centres. Published by London Printing and Publishing Company, with map drawn and engraved by John Rapkin and illustrations drawn and engraved by Henry Winkles.

In 1853 the partnership of John Tallis and Ephraim Tipton Brain formed The London Printing and Publishing Company. John Tallis was the driving force behind the Tallis publishing company, but John Rapkin was largely responsible for their reputation as publishers of accurate, finely engraved decorative maps. Tallis maps are easily recognized by their steel engraved vignettes of important subjects in the region, and elegant finely engraved borders. Specialist map illustrators drew the illustrations, and then engraved a steel plate, in reverse from a mirror image. The fine engraving required skill and time. Unfortunately it was also expensive. Tallis was among the last publishers of beautifully decorated maps and prints.

This map is in fine condition, with central horizontal fold for a publication half its size of 355 x 272mm (14 x 10 3/4 inches).