A survey of the cities of London and Westminster and the Borough of Southwark written at first in the year 1698 (i.e. 1598)..Corrected, improved, and very much enlarged in the year 1720 by John Strype

Art Historical Context

This remarkable volume, first compiled by the Elizabethan historian John Stow in 1598 and later expanded by John Strype in 1720, offers a vivid portrait of London’s growth from a medieval city into a bustling Georgian metropolis. The 1754–55 edition preserved in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection brings together the work of numerous engravers, including Sutton Nicholls, Thomas Bowles II, and Johannes Kip, whose detailed plates map the streets, churches, and markets of London, Westminster, and Southwark. The illustrations, executed in etching and engraving, were ideally suited to the period’s demand for both accuracy and elegance. These techniques allowed artists to render intricate architectural façades, winding thoroughfares, and bustling river scenes with remarkable clarity, turning functional maps into works of art that guided both residents and curious visitors. Today the book stands as a treasured historical document, revealing how eighteenth-century Londoners understood and celebrated their city’s transformation. Its careful documentation of neighborhoods, landmarks, and daily life continues to fascinate scholars and museum visitors alike, offering a window into the urban energy that shaped modern London.

About the Artist

John Strype|John Stow|W. Innys, J. Richardson, C. Bathhurst|Sutton Nicholls|Thomas Bowles II|Louis Truchy|Richard William Seale|J. Maurer|Johannes Kip|Paul Fourdrinier|James Mynde (British|British|British|British|British|French|British|British|Dutch|French|British) · 1643 |1525 |1700 |1689 |1695 |1731 |1703 |1713 |1653 |1698 |1702 –1737 |1605 |1800 |1729 |1767 |1764 |1762 |1761 |1722 |1758 |1771

British, 1643–1737|British, 1525?–1605|London|British, active 1689–1729|British, ca. 1695–1767|French, Paris 1731?–1764|British, 1703–1762|British, active 1713–61|Dutch, Amsterdam before 1653–1721? London|French, Groningen 1698–1758 London|British, 1702–1771