European Dominions of the Ottomans, or Turkey in Europe

London, 1844. Copper engraving, 55.5 x 75.5 cm, original hand colour, blank verso; published in Wyld's ‘New General Atlas’. Greece had become an independent nation after the war of 1821-30, but most other Balkan states gained their independence between 1878-1912, after our map was printed. The cartouche features a fearsome array of weapons, reflecting the long history of warfare between the Ottoman Empire and its neighbours, but at the foot is an abundance of ripe fruit and one of the putti appears to be smoking an opium pipe. James Wyld senior established a highly successful firm of map publishers, which passed to his son when he died relatively young in 1836, apparently from 'overwork'. He hasd been apprenticed to William Faden, and this is one of the plates he took over with Faden’s business in 1823. Wyld senior introduced the new process of lithography to map printing, was a founder member of the Royal Geographical Society and was appointed Geographer to both George IV and William IV. James Wyld junior inherited a thriving business. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and succeeded his father as Geographer to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Map