The Ladies Circular
Atlas and “Mr Barrow”
At the end of 1800, The
Edinburgh Review[1]
in its round up of the year published a list of books published in London in
Nov. 1800. As the sole entry under Geography it reads: The Ladies´
circular Atlas, being a complete system of Geography of the known World.
No. I. 4to. 2s 6d. Boone, Hurst.
A few weeks later two
advertisements appeared in London newspapers. The Morning Herald, ran
the following advertisement[2]:
GEOGRAPHY.- Under the Patronage of her Royal Highness the Duchess of YORK. This Day is published, by T. Boone, No. 91 Swallow-street, and Hurst, Paternoster-row, NUMBER II, price 2s. 6d. elegantly coloured, of COOKE's CIRCULAR ATLAS ; being a Compendious System of Geography of the Known World, containing Four Maps, with Eight Pages of Letter-press, Quarto, hot-pressed, adapted both for Ladies and Gentlemen. The maps, are all engraved by the Proprietor, JOHN COOKE, No. 50, Howland-street: Sold by J Debrett. Piccadilly ; Wright, Ditto; T. Egerton, Whitehall ; Reynolds, Oxford-street ; Bell, Ditto; Lloyd, corner of Harley-street ; and all other Booksellers in the British Empire.
A second advert was
placed a week later in The Morning Chronicle which added more
detail[3]: this
Atlas was to be continued Monthly and the Proprietor, John Cooke, pledges
his credit and reputation that particular attention shall be paid to the
accurate and uniform execution of every Number of the Work. It was to be sold
by all Booksellers in the United Kingdom. N.B. The utmost value will be
given for Libraries, or any Parcel of Books, by T. Boone 91, Swallow-street.
Nothing is known about Boone, but the appended note implies that he was a
bookseller, not only of new books but also second hand books or older issues.
T Boone promises 5 maps plus letterpress
in Part II. In The Monthly Epitome of 1802[4], the critic
gives us the composition of Part I. Reviewing The Circular Atlas: The
whole of this work is to contain one hundred maps, all above that number
will be given gratis and describes the contents. Part I contains three
plates and five maps: one plate describes the solar system; a second
illustrates the vicissitudes of the seasons, the rotundity of the earth and the
attraction of the atmosphere; the third exemplifies refraction, reflection
&c. The maps are of Russia in Europe, Spain and Portugal, Swabia, Prussia,
and Franconia. The Introduction of xlii pages was also included.[5]
The same magazine, in its issue Vol.
IV of 1801 (covering Jan-Dec 1800) included only a listing; The Ladies´ circular
Atlas; being a Complete System of Geography of the known World. No. I.
4to. 2s 6d. Boone, Hurst. Although no copy has been found, it seems clear
this was an attempt to publish a new atlas in parts from the beginning of 1801,
and it was referred to as both the Ladies´ Circular Atlas and Circular
Atlas. A total of nine maps plus three other plates were published in these
two issues: it would take 16 or more issues to produce the promised 100 maps.
However, this atlas was listed in many catalogues and lists throughout the century
and most only include Pt I, a few have Parts I, II. No reference to a Part III
has been seen. In A Catalogue of Books for the year 1803 the entry
reads: 23927 Ladies´ Circular Atlas, No. 1, 2, new, 3s – 1800.[6]
The same writer for The Epitome
quotes from two pages of the atlas introductory text in the review XXII The Circular
Atlas and part of it reads: The Ladies Circular Atlas, now submitted
to the public, is calculated to exhibit all the quarters, divisions, and
subdivisions of the earth … [the] maps are accompanied by a compendious system
of geography: the whole forming a useful vade mecum for the traveller, and a
pleasing book of reference for persons of every denomination. The publishers
are given as Hurst, Debrett, Egerton, Vernor and Hood, &c.
Two further reviews of Part I, appeared
a year later. Both the Critical Review; or Annals of Literature in 1802[7] under
the heading ART X The Circular Atlas, and The Monthly Review or
Literary Journal under its Monthly Catalogue for November 1803[8] as Art.
10 The Circular Atlas gave only Hurst, &c., as publisher at 10s 6d. The
former asserts the atlas is probably to consist of twelve parts and
calculated a total price of 6 guineas (based on a price of 10s 6d; but Boone
was offering Parts I and II at 2s 6d). The review went on the letterpress
… is written by a Mr Barrow. Which Mr Barrow is not explained, but his
Introduction is drawn up with some knowledge and attention, but is far too
astronomical for the purpose of explaining geography.
There were few pleasing words to say
about the Circular Atlas[9] from
the Critical Review. Noting the lengthy title (it ran to nearly 100
words) the critic wrote: It is a common observation, that a good book never has
a long title; and we see nothing in the present production to affect the
justice of the maxim. The maps, too, came in for criticism; when completed, (they)
must be so diminutive and unsatisfactory, that no person of common skill would
give six shillings for the whole work. And later: The map of Prussia is as
old as the seventeenth century. The writer also objected to the style of
writing and finished: But enough of these little maps, which are only calculated
to confuse or mislead children.
The critic in the Monthly Review
was a little kinder: We have read the Introduction contained in this
publication, and see no reason for complaining of errors, but of the inflation
and turgidity of style in which the author delivers his precepts of philosophy.
… the English ladies would be better pleased, and better instructed indeed, if
they were presented to them with greater simplicity. Probably the most scathing
review was that of the writer in the Supplementary Number to the Monthly
Magazine: “The Circular Atlas &c &c by JOHN COCK, Engraver.” It is
fortunate that this is an expensive work; the maps are extremely inaccurate,
and although the body of the work is of a superior cast, it is not always to be
depended on.[10]
In the first two reviews and T Boone´s advertisement
in the Morning Chronicle only the Hurst appears: in the Morning
Herald, Debrett, Wright, Egerton, Reynolds, and Bell are distributors; in The
Monthly Epitome of 1802, the distributors are Hurst, Debrett, Egerton,
Vernor and Hood. Thomas Hurst would join Longman in 1804, together with Edward Orme
as partners. Thomas Brown, previously an apprentice, became a partner in 1811
and in 1823 or 1824 the title of
the firm became Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green. Several of
Cooke´s works (or those of others he executed engravings for) had links to this
company and Longman would also distribute Cooke´s Synopsis in 1812. Of
the other booksellers and distributors named only Vernor and Hood had any sort
of reputation: they (together with Sharp and nine others) would publish the
popular and successful The Beauties of England and Wales with maps by George
Cole and John Roper to accompany text by J Britton and E W Brayley from 1805.
Obviously disappointed at the sales
progress of The Ladies´ Circular Atlas, but with a number of maps and
plates at hand, it was time to take another tack. Almost the same year, a new
atlas, The Universal Atlas, but with similar extended title (... and
Introduction to Modern Geography) was on the market.
T Boone´s advertisements now give John Cooke´s address in Howland Street, implying he was there for some time before, and during completion of, his attempts to market an atlas. A pair of matching trade cards were prepared for J Cooke and for Mrs Cooke.[11] Both cards present their information transposed, aptly, over a globe. J COOKE is Engraver of Topographical Maps, Plans, Views, Fortification &c. 50 Howland Street, London while Mrs COOKE … Respectfully informs the Trade and Public in general that she colours Prints, Maps, Fans, Caricatures &c., in the neatest and best manner; with care and expedition at the lowest Prices. Likewise Mounts and Varnishes Maps, or Drawings; either on Strainers or Rollers. – Atlases fitted up for Librarys &C. No. 50 Howland Street, Fitzroy Square.
Fig. 13. Trade cards issued by J Cooke and Mrs Cooke c.
1799-1802.
Mrs Cooke´s card even leaves a small
amount of room to include the mention that: Topographical Maps, Plans,
Fortification and Military Works Engraved to have a Picturesque Effect by Mr C.
(Fig. 13 and see entry 8). The
cards are clearly from the same hand and must be the work of John Cooke. No marriage
certificate has been found and other evidence suggests John married later in
life so who is Mrs Cooke? We know that he was apprenticed to Mary Cooke, but
she is entered as engraver, not as colourist.
Links to sections of I - London
John Cooke of Howland Street (1799-1805)
The Ladies Circular Atlas and “Mr Barrow”
The Rev. Thomas Smith & The Universal Atlas
John Cooke and the Admiralty (1802-1805)
Between the Admiralty and Plymouth (1805-1812)
Links to section II - Plymouth.
Stonehouse (1813-1845)
Napoleon and Cooke´s first Plymouth engravings
The Copper-Plate Engraving, and Printing Office (1815-21)
John Cooke of Union Street, Stonehouse (1823-1845)
Summary
Return to Introduction
Link to IV: Short List of John Cooke's works.
[1] The Edinburgh Review or Literary Miscellany; VOL.
XV, New Series; James Lymington; Edinburgh; 1800, page 480.
[2] The Morning Herald; Thursday 8th
January; 1801; London.
[3] The Morning Chronicle; Thursday
15th January, 1801; London.
[4] The Monthly Epitome or Readers their own Reviewers; William Clarke; London; 1802, p. 91.
[5] The number of pages (lxii) is given in the General
Index Vol. I, published in 1818.
[6] A Catalogue of Books for the year, containing Eight Hundred Thousand
Volumes; Lackington, Allen & Co.;
London; 1803; entry 23927.
[7] The Critical Review - or, Annals of Literature; Vol.
XXXV, pp.81-82; S Hamilton; London; 1802.
[8] The Monthly Review or Literary Journal, enlarged;
Vol. XLII; T Becket; London; 1803.
[9] The full title: The
Circular Atlas and Compendious System of Geography, being a comprehensive and
particular Delineation of the known World, whether relative to the Situation,
Extent, and Boundaries of Empires, Kingdoms, Republics, &c. or to the
Description of Countries, Islands, Cities, Towns, Harbours, Rivers, Mountains,
&c, comprising whatever is curious in Nature or Art. The Materials, derived
from original Productions, and from Works of the first Authority, are arranged
upon a Plan of perspicuity and conciseness, methodised so as to be accessible
to every capacity, and illustrated by circular Maps, from accurate Drawings,
made expressly for this Work.
[10] Supplementary Number to the Monthly Magazine; Vol.
13, No. 89; July 20, 1802; page 663.
[11] Sarah Sophia
Banks (1744-1818), an avid collector of prints and printed ephemera, was sister
of Sir Joseph Banks. On her death her collection went to her sister-in-law, Dorothea,
Lady Banks, who presented them to the BM. Card references are BM D.3427 and
D2.3425.
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