Founded by antiquary William Herbert and taken up by publisher and printseller Robert Wilkinson. A part-work where originally each large page had two prints, the plate marks almost touching; one showing a scene in Elizabethan to pre-revolutionary times and the other the same scene as then current. The "before" images started as copy engravings of scarce early prints, but for a while degenerated into expansions of details from early panoramas such as Hollar's London. The "now" prints were based on small commissioned drawings and watercolours, many of which still exist in the Guildhall and other London collections. The whole work eventually comprised 206 plates, with text ranging from 1 to 20 pages for each plate.
Wilkinson died in 1828 and his stock was sold by Sothebys. The sale lasted three days. The material associated with Londina Illustrata was sold for £1000. It included plates not by then published, which appeared in the final edition in 1834.
ref: Adams Bernard, London illustrated 1604-1851: a survey and index of topographical books and their plates. London: Library Association, 1983.
Londina Illustrata is no.131 in the book. Davidnugget (talk) 10:34, 31 January 2019 (UTC)Reply
