Historic Map : Cruchley Map of Holland and Belgium, 1850, Vintage Wall Art

A beautiful example of by George Frederick Cruchley's 1850 map of Holland (Netherlands) and Belgium. It covers the region from the North Sea to the Duchy of Luin xemburg in the South. This map is color coded according the counties and provinces, showing important cities, towns, rivers, lakes, mountains and other important topographical features. Elevation is rendered in hachure.

In 1830, the Belgian Revolution led to the secession of Belgium from the United Kingdom of Netherlands and it's subsequently consolidation as the independent Kingdom of Belgium. Though Belgium had successfully attained self-rule, the Netherlands refused to recognize the new country until the 1839 Treaty of London.

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.