A Plan of Cow Cross and the Charter House, 1755 (Stow's Survey)

This is a mid-18th-century hand-colored copperplate engraved map titled 'Cow Cross Ward and Liberty and the Charter House', originally produced for the 1754-1755 edition of John Stow’s ‘A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster’. The item is displayed in a landscape orientation, framed with a light-colored mat. The map features an ornate title cartouche in the upper center, a detailed key or 'Explanation' in the lower-right corner, and a compass rose at the bottom left. The layout depicts the Clerkenwell and Smithfield boundaries, including notable landmarks like the Charter House and its formal gardens. The hand-coloring uses a palette of muted greens for greenery, terrace-reds for building blocks, and yellow accents on the compass. Construction-wise, it appears to be on laid paper from the Georgian period. Regarding condition, there is visible age-toning and foxing across the surface, with a notable vertical fold line in the center corresponding to its original placement in a folio book. The ink remains sharp, indicating a good quality impression from the plate. A manufacturing inscription at the bottom indicates it was 'published according to Act of Parliament 1755 for Stow's Survey'. The level of detail in the street topography and the specialized key are indicators of high-quality mid-18th-century cartography.

I have conducted a visual examination of the 1755 hand-colored engraving titled 'Cow Cross Ward and Liberty and the Charter House.' Based on the plate-mark characteristics, the presence of the vertical folio fold, and the specific typography of the title cartouche, the item is consistent with a genuine map from the 1754-1755 edition of John Stow’s ‘A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster’, updated by John Strype. The hand-coloring appears to be professional and sympathetic to the Georgian era, though it is likely later than the 18th century. The condition shows moderate foxing and tanning consistent with laid paper of this period; however, the sharpness of the copperplate impression remains high, preserving the fine street-level topography. Market demand for Stow’s Survey maps remains stable, as they are essential documentation of pre-industrial London. This specific ward map is desirable due to its representation of the Charter House gardens and the Smithfield area. Comparable sales for framed maps of this size and period typically fall between $400 and $700 depending on the vibrancy of the coloring and the acidity level of the mounting materials. While the visual markers suggest authenticity, a definitive valuation is limited by the digital nature of this inspection. A full authentication would require removing the map from the frame to examine the 'chain lines' and watermark of the paper, and to check for acidic tape or mounting residues on the verso. Scientific testing of the pigment composition would be necessary to determine if the coloring is contemporary or a 19th/20th-century addition. Provenance documentation showing its removal from a specific folio volume would further solidify its value.