98 James Pigot 1829

James Pigot (fl.1794-1842) started as an engraver for Dean’s Manchester Directory, but later set up his own business publishing the London and Provincial New Commercial Directory first with Dean and alone from 1822-3 and later with his son. For the third edition in 1827, a number of maps were added and in 1830 the maps were separately published in Pigot & Co’s British Atlas (folio, 41 maps). In 1828 the Pigots moved from 24 to 17 Basing Lane. In 1832 they briefly moved to No. 1. In 1838 they moved to 59 Fleet Street.

The maps themselves were printed from steel plates, the first such printed county maps known, and are finely engraved and decorated with equally fine vignette views of an abbey, church or cathedral: Devon has a vignette of Exeter Cathedral. When reduced versions of these maps were produced in 1839 (117A, The Victorian Maps of Devon) the same vignette was used as frontispiece.

In 1844 Isaac Slater joined the younger Pigot, soon acquiring the business and using the imprint I Slater (late Pigot & Slater) on title pages before the map imprints and signatures changed to I Slater in 1846 with issues of the atlas until 1857 (I Slater’s New British Atlas) and directories to circa 1853.

Size 220 x 350 mm.                                                                                                                                                   Scale (10 = 30 mm) Miles.

DEVONSHIRE. Imprint: Published by Pigot & Co. 24 Basing Lane London & Fountain St Manchester (CeOS). Signature: Engraved on Steel by Pigot & Son Manchester (EeOS).