London - The Bastion of Liberty. Pictorial map by Kerry Lee c1946 old

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'London - The Bastion of Liberty'


A decorative mid-century pictorial bird's eye view map of London and Westminster created for the Travel Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a reduced version of the much larger quad-royal 1948 edition. The map contains a huge quantity of visual and textual detail relating to London's attractions, history, eminent characters from the city's history, and public buildings. The names of the main thoroughfares, neighbourhoods and train stations are emblazoned across the map in ribbons. The subtitle evokes the dark days of the Blitz, only a few years prior to publication, with a quote from one of Churchill's defiant Blitz speeches "We would rather see London in ruins and ashes, than that it should be tamely and abjectly enslaved" - a call to inspire tourists to return to visit the city that stood alone against Hitler after the restrictions of the war years. Surrounding the map, a highly decorative border features vignettes of some of the suburbs and places outside the central area covered by the map itself. As was the artist's habit, Kerry Lee has depicted himself signing the map in the bottom right hand corner.

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Size 52 x 67 cm | 20.5 x 26.0 inches

Date Published: c1946

c1946 [This is the original version of the map which includes the acronymns of the railway companies next to the name of each station (removed from later editions) prior to nationalisation in 1948, and pre-dates the Royal Festival Hall, opened for the Festival of Britain in 1951 (added to later editions)]

Type: 20th century colour pictorial map

Author: Lee, Kerry

Publication: Pictorial Maps Ltd

Published by Pictorial Maps Ltd for the Travel Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Queen's House, St. James's Street, London SW1. Printed in Great Britain by Chromoworks Ltd. Pictorial Maps Ltd. Blandford Studio, 71 Blandford Street, London W1

Condition: Good |

Good; suitable for framing. Light spotting in margin. There are several repaired marginal tears, the most prominent of which runs horizontally from the right edge through the cartouche containing the Churchill quotation. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Please contact us if you would like to arrange to view this map. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain

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We accept returns for any reason if sent back to us within 14 days of receipt of your order. If any of your items are not as described, we will provide a full refund including reasonable return postage costs upon safe return to us. If you have changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning the item to us. We describe the size, age and condition of all our products as fully and accurately as possible. Most of the items which we sell are in very good condition. However, the condition of antique and vintage prints and maps can vary. All of our product listings including a statement which classifies the condition as being either “Good”, “Fair”, or (rarely) “Poor” and which describes any material flaws, blemishes, imperfections or other significant features such as folds. Please read the description carefully before purchase.

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Condition Guide

We assess the condition of each item using three categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. We strive to ensure that any significant flaws are clearly shown in the images provided and detailed in the accompanying condition statement.

Good

The item presents well, with no significant flaws, and is in frameable condition. Minor imperfections—such as light spotting or offsetting, small blemishes, tight margins, neatly repaired tears, or discreet/professionally executed restoration—do not materially detract from its overall appearance.

Fair

The item shows noticeable flaws but remains in frameable condition. Some buyers may feel these imperfections affect its visual appeal. Typical issues may include more prominent spotting, blemishes, bleed-through from the reverse, obvious offsetting, visible or extensive restoration, wear along fold lines or junctures, small wormholes, trimmed or closely cropped edges, or less carefully executed repairs.

Poor

The item has major flaws that significantly impact its presentation and/or suitability for framing. These may include heavy spotting, staining, bleed-through, offsetting, unrepaired damage, or poorly executed repairs such as tears, holes, or areas of paper loss (including within the printed image). The item may also be fragile and prone to further deterioration.