Name: Charles Smith
Dates: 1800-1852
Map types: Copper engraved atlas and folding maps.
Charles Smith – an English stationer, map and globe-seller – operated his London-based works from the early part of the 19th century, producing numerous worthy publications. After his death in 1852, the business was taken on by his son William Smith (not to be confused with the renowned 18th century geologist of the same name), and traded under the name Charles Smith & Son.
Smith’s New English Atlas ran for several editions from 1804 to around 1845, and running concurrently for some of the time was his General Atlas, published from 1808 to 1826. Other works included maps showing various communications and geographical features: canal maps, river course maps, lakes and other such detailed charts.
The maps themselves were printed from finely engraved copper plates, but somewhat unusually, on machine-made paper: this was not a unique notion - John Cary was doing similar things around this time - but the results are aesthetically delicate yet precisely detailed and accurate. They were coloured by hand with appropriately delicate watercolour washes.
Smith’s New English Atlas ran for several editions from 1804 to around 1845, and running concurrently for some of the time was his General Atlas, published from 1808 to 1826. Other works included maps showing various communications and geographical features: canal maps, river course maps, lakes and other such detailed charts.
The maps themselves were printed from finely engraved copper plates, but somewhat unusually, on machine-made paper: this was not a unique notion - John Cary was doing similar things around this time - but the results are aesthetically delicate yet precisely detailed and accurate. They were coloured by hand with appropriately delicate watercolour washes.