Copper engraving, 508×1670 mm. Hand-coloured in the period. Detailed map of London, extending from Grosvenor Square in the west to Mile End in the east. On the right, panels featuring views of St James’s Square and the Custom House, elevations of St Paul’s and the Royal Exchange, ships on the Thames and a compass rose off Millbank, included only in the deluxe edition. Beautiful ornamental cartouche with the title surmounted by the royal coat of arms of George II, a dedicatory note in Latin and German within an oval with neoclassical friezes, and a glossary of explanatory notes in German and English within the vignettes at the bottom and top left. An excellent specimen, in superb condition. Taken from Atlas geographicus maior. Johann Baptist Homann (1663–1724) founded the famous publishing house in Nuremberg. Johann initially trained to become a priest before converting to Protestantism and working as a notary. In 1702, he founded a publishing house specialising in engravings. The company prospered, becoming the leading map publisher in Germany and a major player in the European map market. In 1715, he was appointed Imperial Geographer of the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI and became a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Homann is best known for his “Grosser Atlas über die ganze Welt”. After Johann’s death in 1724, the business passed to his son Christoph (1703–1730), and upon his untimely death, the company passed to his heirs and the company name