Original antique steel-plate engraved map by Thomas Moule. Published by Lewis, 1846.
Later hand-colouring
Thomas Moule (1785 – 1854) was one of the most prominent map makers of the mid nineteenth century.
Moule is best know for his highly decorated county maps of England. This was unusual during Victorian era when maps had become more academic and informative. Moule's decorative ornamental borders, heraldic shields and costumed figures were more reminiscent of a bygone age. Each map had at least two vignette illustrations of notable properties and the county town or city.
Thomas Moule maps were published for Barclays Complete and Universal English Dictionary. They were the last of the decorative maps before cartography became the soul reason for maps.
Barclays Universal Dictionary was a popular publication and went into several editions between 1837 and 1850. At the same time the maps were updated with the growth of the railway network.
