Stow's Survey of London: Cheap Ward Map

This is a hand-colored copperplate engraved map titled 'Cheap Ward with its Division into Parishes according to a new Survey,' originally produced for John Stow’s 'Survey of London.' The piece showcases a detailed street plan of the Cheap Ward district in the City of London, featuring prominent red-tinted building footprints and four inset architectural views of notable landmarks including Guildhall and St. Mildred's Church. The print is characterized by a central vertical fold line indicating its origin as a book plate. It features a decorative rococo-style title cartouche in the upper left and a heraldic crest at the bottom center, both treated with subtle hand-applied watercolor washes in blue, yellow, and red. The typography is typical of the mid-18th century, likely from the 1754-1755 edition edited by John Strype. The paper exhibits a light cream patina consistent with age, with some visible undulation and faint foxing or spotting throughout. Notable condition issues include a pronounced vertical crease from its original binding and some slight discoloration along the margins. The level of detail in the street naming and the inclusion of contemporary elevation drawings indicate high-quality 18th-century cartographic craftsmanship.

I have virtually examined this hand-colored copperplate engraving of the ‘Cheap Ward’ from the 6th edition of John Stow’s ‘Survey of London’ (circa 1754-1755). The map displays the characteristic hallmarks of mid-18th-century cartography, including the decorative rococo cartouche and the specific architectural elevations of Guildhall. The hand-coloring, while later-period or modern, is applied with sensitivity and enhances the visual appeal of the building footprints and heraldic crest. The condition is consistent with a map extracted from a bound folio. I observed typical age-toning and a central fold line that is standard for this series. While the occasional foxing and marginal undulation are present, they do not significantly detract from the piece’s integrity. Locally, London ward maps remain highly collectible among topographical enthusiasts and local historians. Market comparables for Strype-edition maps currently range from $400 to over $700 depending on the specific ward's prominence and the quality of the coloring. Critically, a visual examination via images cannot definitively confirm the paper’s weight or the presence of a 18th-century watermark (such as a 'Pro Patria' or 'GR' cipher), which are essential for distinguishing an original strike from a high-quality 19th-century facsimile. For full authentication, I would require an in-person tactile inspection of the paper texture and the 'plate mark' indentation. Verification of provenance or a bill of sale from a recognized antiquarian would further solidify this valuation. Until such time, this appraisal assumes the item is an authentic 1754-1755 strike on period laid paper.