Cassell’s Complete Atlas, published in 1865 by Cassell, Petter & Galpin, evolved from a series of weekly part-works originally issued between 1856 and 1862 for The Weekly Dispatch, one of London’s most widely read newspapers. Each instalment featured a single map with commentary, eventually forming a comprehensive body of work. In 1863, these maps were first compiled and published as The Dispatch Atlas, followed two years later by the expanded Cassell’s Complete Atlas. The maps—compiled under the direction of Edward Weller and printed by Day & Son—were celebrated for their clarity, accuracy, and modern style. They reflected contemporary geopolitical developments, including the American Civil War and colonial expansions, and bore the distinctive emblem of a half-globe surmounted by Mercury. Engravers included Weller and John Dower. Cassell’s Complete Atlas contains over 250 hand-coloured lithographed maps covering the British Isles and major world regions, along with large-scale railway maps and town plans that remain particularly sought after. It is considered a landmark of Victorian popular cartography and a valuable record of mid-19th-century geography.
