Bark Shire
Print; Hand-colored engraved copperplate map on laid paper • Robert Morden (English, c.1650–1703); Printed for Abel Swall and Awnsham & John Churchill
Style & Movement
Baroque Cartography; English County Mapping
Medium & Technique
Copperplate engraving with later hand-coloring in watercolor. Features fine-line etching for topographical details and letterpress for text elements.
Creation Period
Circa 1695 (First Edition of Camden's Britannia)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 36 x 42 cm (plate mark); Landscape format housed in a modern gilded frame.
Subject Description
A detailed map of Berkshire (spelled 'Bark Shire') showing hundreds, towns, rivers, and parks. Includes an ornate title cartouche in the upper right and a scale of miles in the lower left. Bordering counties Oxford Shire, Buckingham Shire, Surrey, Ham Shire, and Wilt Shire are noted.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good; visible vertical fold line suggests original binding in an atlas. Even toning associated with age.
Estimated Market Value
$250 - $450 USD
Auction Estimate
$150 - $300 USD
Provenance History
Originally produced for William Camden’s 'Britannia' (1695 or 1722 editions). Likely removed from a bound volume in the 20th century for individual sale.
Art Historical Significance
Morden's maps were among the first to use 'modern' longitude and standardized English miles. They represent a transition in British cartography from decorative Elizabethan styles to more utilitarian, data-driven Enlightenment mapping.
Notable Features
Includes three different scales of miles (Great, Middle, and Small) which was a hallmark of Morden’s work to account for varying local measurements of the time.
Condition Issues
Evidence of a central vertical crease (common for atlas maps), minor foxing, and acid burn from historical matting. Toning of paper consistent with 17th/18th-century rag paper.
Conservation Recommendations
Ensure use of acid-free museum-grade matting and UV-protective glass. Avoid hanging in direct sunlight to prevent fading of the hand-colored pigments.