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The Seven Years War (1756-63)

Manuscript and printed maps and views, correspondence and journals from the first global war

L THERBU (ACTIVE 1789)

Maps of Germany, 1756-62

c.1789

Engraving and etching; printed on paper; hand-coloured | 49.2 x 34.6 cm (volume) | RCIN 731067

A volume of forty-six maps, with title-page, of sieges, battles and encampments in Germany in the Seven Years War. Seven Years War (1756-63). See RCINs 731067.a-aw.

The date of 1789 is taken from the BL catalogue. See BL Maps C.7.e.9. also on silk.

The ‘Prospectus’ lists seventy-four actions; this set contains forty-six plans. Lacks plans a5, a10, a11, a12, a17, a19, a20, a21, a22, a25; b6, a9; c12, c21-29, c32-34, c36.

Each plan is described separately. The privilege mark: C.P.S.C.M., appears on each plan, bottom centre of the text, inside the neatline; the authority statements: ‘Dessiné par Therbu Lieutenant= Ingenieur’ and ‘Gravé par Cöntgen Graveur de la Cour et de l’Université de Mayence’ are engraved outside the neatlines bottom left and bottom right respectively except in five instances where the engraver is G. Tischbein. The format is similar to the small maps published by Jean de Beaurain fils in 1765 (see RCIN 731066).

The Prospectus explains that the maps are arranged in three groups. The twenty-eight plans in group ‘a’ represent the actions between the Prussians and the Imperial Armies (French, Saxon, and the Empire) and each plan is marked bottom right with a lower case ‘a’ and a number in chronological order. Group ‘b’, represents the actions between the Prussians and the Russians and Swedes, and comprises nine plans marked with a ‘b’. Group ‘c’ comprises thirty-seven plans of the actions between the French and the Allies.

According to the ‘Prospectus’ the maps were to be issued in monthly instalments. It is possible that it was intended that there should be twenty-four instalments of three maps, and a twenty-fifth which, according to the Prospectus, comprised two maps and the Title.

This set comprises the following maps:

a.1 Lobositz 1756
a.2 Pirna 1756
a.3 Reichenberg 1757
a.4 Prague 1757
a.5 Not present
a.6 Prague 1757
a.7 Görlitz 1757
a.8 Berlin 1757
a.9 Rosbach 1757
a.10-12 Not present
a.13 Breslau 1757
a.14 Schweidnitz 1758
a.15 Olmutz 1758
a.16 Hochkirchen 1758
a.17 Not present
a.18 Dresden 1758
a.19-22 Not present
a.23 Lignitz 1760
a.24 Strehla 1760
a.25 Not present
a.26 Reichenbach 1762
a.27 Schweidnitz 1762
a.28 Freiberg 1762
b.1 Memel 1757
b.2 Pilau 1757
b.3 Gross-Jaegerndorf 1757
b.4 Stralsund 1757-8
b.5 Zorndorf 1758
b.6 Not present
b.7 Palzig 1759
b.8 Cunersdorf 1759
c.1 Fort St Philippe 1756
c.2 Forts de Chouagen 1756
c.3 Wesel 1757-1760
c.4 Lippstadt 1757-1758
c.5 Hastenbeck 1757
c.6 Fort William-Henry 1757
c.7 Hannovre 1757-1758
c.8 Harbourg 1757
c.9 Creveld 1758
c.10 Dusseldorff 1758
c.11 Fort Carillon 1758
c.12 Not present
c.13 Sandsershausen 1758
c.14 Louisbourg 1757-1758
c.15 Meer 1758
c.16 St Cast 1758
c.17 Lutternberg 1758
c.18 Bergen 1759
c.19 Guadeloupe 1759
c.20 Minden 1759
c.21-c.29 Not present
c.30 Meppen 1761
c.31 Brunswig 1761
c.32-c.34 Not present
c.35 Almeida 1762
c.36 Not present
c.37 Johannsberg 1762 

[Maps a8 (RCIN 731067.h), a14 (RCIN 731067.k), a18 (RCIN 731067.n), b4 (RCIN 731067.w), c7 (RCIN 731067.ag) and c30 (RCIN 731067.at), are engraved by G. Tischbein.]

[Maps RCIN 731067.am and RCINs 731067.ao are drawn by J. Seibel.]

  1. Nineteenth or twentieth-century cloth binding, originally purple? now very faded; upper board has a lattice pattern of faded and less faded areas; bottom board is heavily marked and stained; gold lettering to spine: PLANS DE LA GUERRE DE SEPT ANS THERBU; a floral device is stamped at each end of the title and author. The pastedown inside the front board is stamped in blue ink: ROYAL LIBRARY, / WINDSOR CASTLE. A black pencil inscription on the recto of the flyleaf reads: ‘very imperfect’.
  • L Therbu (active 1789) (publisher and cartographer)

    J. Seibel (active 1789) (draughtsman)

    George Joseph Cöntgen (active 1789) (engraver)

    Georg Heinrich Tischbein (1755-1848) (engraver)

  • Condition: binding faded and stained but in good structural condition. The first folio – the ‘Prospectus’ contains surface dirt and is stained, with brown marks. The first two map plates contain slight surface dirt with some brown stains. The remainder of the map plates are in good clean condition. All the maps are crisp impressions with well defined platemarks

  • 49.2 x 34.6 cm (volume)

    47.7 x 33.8 cm (sheet)

  • Lettered:

    Plans de la guerre de sept ans

    George III catalogue entry:

    Germany Les Plans de la Guerre de sept ans, centenant les Batailles, Combats &.c (1756-1762) par le Lieut. Therbu. Fol. Explications en Langue Francoise. 8.vo Another copy of D.o printed on silk. Fol. Explanations in the German language. 8vo.

    K. Mil. dummy sheet:

    Title [ink:] Les Plans de la guerre de sept ans contenant les Batailles, Combats, Prise de Villes, / Camps &.c par le Lieut. Therbu - avec des Explications en Langue Françoise 8.vo / One Volume Folio ... [no press mark] / Another Copy of Ditto, printed on Silk, with the Explanations in the German Language 8.vo / One Volume Folio ... [no press mark] / [black pencil, in a modern hand:] UL.I.2.D / [George III heading in black pencil and red ink:] Germany 1756 - 1762 / [red ink:] imperfect. 
    Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the scrolled letter W below. 
    Size: 48.3 x 33.3 cm (sheet).

Page revisions

  • 25 May 2024