57 Richard Davis (fl. 1795–1814) – Plan of the University and City of Oxford – Large Hand-Colored Copperplate Engraving (1797)

This finely detailed map was published in 1797 by Richard Davis of Lewknor, Oxfordshire. It presents a comprehensive view of Oxford and its surrounding areas, featuring parish boundaries, roads, buildings, rivers, and notable green spaces. The map is hand-colored to distinguish districts and administrative divisions. A minimalistic cartouche with elegant serif typography appears in the lower section, stating the title and scale. The map was engraved by J. Cary and issued as part of Davis’s large-scale county mapping project, which represented one of the most ambitious private surveys of Oxfordshire in the 18th century.

Richard Davis was a land surveyor and mapmaker active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His most significant achievement was the detailed Map of Oxfordshire published in 1797, which included numerous town and parish plans like this one of Oxford. He worked during a transitional period in British cartography, when precision in surveying began to take precedence, and his work contributed to the more accurate depiction of land boundaries and urban planning.

Artist or Maker:

Richard Davis

Dimensions:

75 cm x 56 cm

Medium:

Hand-Colored Copperplate Engraving

Date:

1797

Condition Report:

This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.