Historic Map : Cruchley Map of Austria, 1850, Vintage Wall Art

This is a lovely example of the 1850 George Frederick Cruchley map of Austria. It covers the territories claimed by the once vast Austro-Hungarian Empire, including in whole or part the modern day nations of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Albania, Croatia, Romania, and the Czech Republic. The Austrian empire, founded in 1804 by the last Holy Roman emperor, Francis II, lasted only till 1866. It was transformed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire after Austria was defeated in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

Cruchley's General Atlas was unique for its period, employing a vivid color scheme extending even to the oceans, distinctive typography, and various uncommon decorative elements including a peacock feather crown and an imprint medallion, both of which break the printed border.  Though many of the maps in this atlas are copyrighted in 1841, the atlas was first published in 1843 from the Cruchley office at 81 Fleet Street, London, and proving popular went through numerous reissues well into the 1850s.