London.- Mayfair.- Anonymous (probably early to mid-18th century) Original manuscript plan of the environs of the Conduit Mead Estate, before construction of Conduit Street in the early 18th century, the plan with streets and sites identified, centred on Swallow Street with Oxford Street/"Road to Oxford" at the top, "Burlington Gardens" with Bond Street, Albermale Street, and Dover Street in the lower part, and "Carnaby Street" and 'Gt. Marlborow Street" in the east, inscribed verso 'Survey of Oxford road/ Swallow Street &/ New Ground to be built', and further inscribed in pencil by another hand 'Lord [?]Dudley's house/ Lord [...]/ Clements Shop [?] Walters [?]', pen and inks, some watercolour wash, on 18th century laid paper with large Strasbourg lily and countermark 'IV' [found on papers from 1710 through to the late 18th century], sheet 480 x 370 mm (18 7/8 x 14 1/2 in), tipped at corners onto card support, one corner torn and detached, remnants of corner still on mount, some spotting, browining and surface dirt, central horizontal crease, handling creases, unframed, [probably circa 1710-1750]

⁂ Rare pre-Rocque example of central London mapping, showing central Mayfair before the dramatic building and expansion that occurred in the 1720s and ensuing decades. Possibly a secretarial copy of another map, but we have been unable to trace another comparative sheet.