Britannia Depicta or Ogilby improv'd was an illustrated road atlas for Britain. It was printed in numerous editions over many decades from 1720 into the 19th century and updated with engravings by many artisans who worked from drawings of other artists. It featured strip maps.
The atlas was based on the earlier work of John Ogilby who published his Britannia, the first British road atlas in 1675. Britannia Depicta was printed in 1720 by Emanuel Bowen and John Owen's firm Bowen & Owen. It was one of Bowen's earliest works.
A road atlas, it contains two hundred and seventy three road maps along with drawings of landmarks and miniature county maps of each of the counties of England and Wales. It augmented John Ogilby's original with additional historical and heraldic detail. As the atlas was printed with maps on both sides of each page, this resulted in a handier-sized book.
John Ogilby's Britannia can be accessed at the Cambridge University Digital Library.
Cadell & Davies editions
Cadell & Davies published its own editions of the Britannia Depicta atlas over many years, with accompanying descriptions by Samuel Lysons. Engraved plates for their Britannia Depicta are dated 1803–1818.
The Quarterly Review of 1816 reported it was ordered along with Magna Britannia.
Landscapes by Joseph Farington were included in Cadell and Davies' six-volume "modernisation" of the illustrated atlas. His contributions include topographical Views in Cornwall (1814) and other views. He also depicted Devon for a 7th edition and had his drawings engraved but they were never published.
Engravers
Engravers who worked on the Cadell & Davies editions include:
William Angus (engraver) 1752–1821
M. S. Barenger
John Byrne (engraver), 1786–1847
Letitia Byrne 1779–1849
William Byrne (engraver) 1743–1805
George Cooke (engraver) 1781–1834
Frederick Rudolph Hay 1784–? John Landseer 1769–1852 Samuel Middiman ca. 1750–1831 James Neagle 1760?–1822 Charles Pye (engraver) 1777–1864 John Pye 1782–1874 John Scott (engraver) 1774–1827 Thomas Woolnoth, 1785–1857 William Woolnoth 1780–1837
Illustrators
Illustrations in the Cadell & Davies editions were made by artists including:
William Alexander 1767–1816
John Byrne 1786–1847
Joseph Farington 1747–1821
Thomas Hearne 1744–1817
Frederick Nash 1782–1856
John Powell, 1780-ca. 1833
Robert Smirke 1752–1845
John Smith (perhaps John Raphael Smith?) William Turner J. M. W. Turner (Joseph Mallord William), 1775–1851 John Varley 1778–1842 Thomas Webster 1800–1886