American War of Independence | Scrapbook, probably assembled by a member of the Sharp family, including rare maps of America

American War of Independence, Golden Age of Canals, steam engines, etc.

Scrapbook, probably assembled by a member of the Sharp family, assembled early 1800s

Large folio (678 x 495 mm), 70 leaves, each numbered in ink at upper right-hand margin, containing a total of c.103 maps, plans, drawings, etc., including: 6 RARE MAPS OF AMERICA (items 41, 42, 43, 44, 54, and 89 on full list of contents below), c.39 maps and plans of English waterways including newly built or proposed canals, TWO FASCINATING WATERCOLOUR DIAGRAMS OF EARLY STEAM-POWERED VEHICLES (items 97 and 99), several city plans (some loosely inserted), and a number of miscellaneous items including floorplans, botanical drawings, and grammar tables, manuscript index ("Alphabetical list to Vol IV") in nineteenth-century hand to front pastedown, contemporary quarter calf over marbled boards, spine gilt with raised bands in eight compartments, morocco label to second compartment, modern manuscript labels to spine and upper board, some items detached or creased, binding rubbed

A FASCINATING DOCUMENT OF A FAST-CHANGING EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY GEOGRAPHICAL, POLITICAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC. The present album was compiled by a member of the family who are strikingly depicted as a travelling musical ensemble aboard their barge in Johann Zoffany's 1779-81 painting "The Sharp Family" at the National Gallery, with this album's contents dating from approximately the same period. The most prominent members of the family were Granville (1735-1813) and his elder brother William (1729-1810), both of whom are known for their roles in the British abolitionist movement. William's name is inscribed on the verso of a map of South Carolina and Parts Adjacent (item 89) and a watercolour cartoon by Cooper Willyams of an Irish Jaunting Car, but the extensive inclusion of material relating to canals and waterways makes James a more obvious contender as the album's compiler. Prince Hoare's Memoirs of Granville Sharp, esq. (London, 1820) lauds James' "inventive genius, and knowledge of mechanics", and asserts that "to him, chiefly, this kingdom is indebted for the establishment of its inland navigation" (p. 22). Indeed, the album includes Faden & Jeffreys' "Plan of the intended Navigable Canal, from Moor-Fields, into the River Lee at Waltham Abby" (item 21), a scheme which James is known to have taken an extensive role in promoting (ibid., p. 22), and also included is an engraving of James Sharp's design for a winnowing machine (item 56).

Two of the most intriguing items point to the family's techno-futuristic enthusiasm for the transformative possibilities of steam power at an early phase of the Industrial Revolution. The album includes a watercolour sketch captioned "A plan of a new invented carriage calculated to convey Goods, Merchandize or Passengers &c. from one place to another without Horses but by force or power of steam only. Invented by Thomas Hunt of Hammersmith, 1789" (item 94). Though Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot had built the first self-propelled road vehicle two decades before this sketch was produced, the drawing predates Richard Trevithick's London Steam Carriage (the first self-propelled passenger-carrying vehicle) by almost a decade and a half. Similarly, the album includes a sketch of a paddle steamer designed to replace the use of horses or men for towing barges (item 97). In addition to these sketches of vehicles and the numerous maps and plans concerned with revolutionising the canal system are six rare maps of America—revealing the Sharp family's outward-facing perspective on the seismic events of the unfolding American War of Independence.

The eclectic nature of the Sharp family's interests are revealed through the contents of this album. Their musical interests are hinted at by the inclusion of a pen and ink diagram captioned "An Octave of the Monochord" (item 50), whilst other subjects include typography (items 48 and 58), botany (item 92), sculptures of athletes (item 102), nautical flags (item 52), and grammar (item 65).

The full contents comprise:

1. Thomas Jefferys, A Chart of the British Channel, 1775
2. Bowles' New Pocket Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster, 1773, hand-coloured in outline
3. Thomas Jeffreys, A Plan of the River Thames, 1770, hand-coloured in outline, large closed tear at fold
4. Thomas Jeffreys, A Plan of the River Thames from Boulter's Lock to Mortlake, 1774
5. Thomas Jeffreys, A Profile of the River Thames from Boulters Lock to Mortlake, n.d.
6. Thomas Jeffreys, A Plan of the River Thames from Boulters Lock to Mortlake, 1771
7. Thomas Jeffreys, A Plan of the Intended Canal in Berkshire from Reading to Monkey Island. Survey'd 1770. Annotated at margin.
8. William Faden, Plan of the Intended Canal from the River Trent to Langley Bridge, 1777
9. Bowles' Draught of the River Thames from it's [sic] Spring in Gloucester-shire..., 1774
10. Plan of the Rivers Air and Calder, from the Towns of Leeds and Wakefield to Armin..., n.d.
11. Robert Whitworth, A Table of Distances of the several Towns and Bridges upon the River Thames, 1779
12. Plan of the Navigable Canal from Basingstoke to the River Wey, n.d.
13. William Faden, A plan and profile of the proposed navigable canal... to the River Thames at Abingdon, 1784
14. Robert Whitworth, A plan of the intended navigable canal from the Coventry Canal near Griff in the County of Warwick..., 1781
15. William Faden, A plan of the continuation of a proposed collateral cut... from Stourbridge..., n.d., spotted
16. William Faden, A plan of the Floating Docks and other Premises mentioned in the Bristol Port Bill, 1777, hand-coloured, spotted
17. William Faden, A profile of the line of the proposed navigable canal from Bishopstortford to Cambridge, n.d.
18. A survey of the River Wear... to the City of Durham, 1731
19. Thomas Jefferys and William Faden, A plan for a navigable canal from Stourbridge... to the Severn..., 1775
20. R. Baker, A plan of the line of the proposed London and Western Canal from Hampton Gay to Isleworth, n.d.
21. William Faden and Thomas Jeffreys, Plan of the intended Navigable Canal, from Moor-Fields, into the River Lee at Waltham Abby..., 1773
22. William Faden, A plan of the intended navigable canal from Basingstoke to the River Wey, n.d.
23. James Brindley, A plan of the navigable canals now making in the Inland Parts of this Kingdom.... for opening a Communication into the Ports of London, Bristol, Liverpool, and Hull..., 27 April 1769, hand-coloured
24. W. Wright, A plan of the navigable canal from Birmingham in the County of Warwick to the canal at Autherley..., 1775
25. J. Davies, A plan of the River Loddon, and intended navigable canal from Basingstoke... to the River Thames, near Monkey Island...., 1769
26. A Plan of the River Lee from Hertford to the River Thames, with a profile of the fall, n.d., spotted
27. William Faden, [Engraved map of Shropshire waterways], n.d.
28. Plan of the proposed canal from the River Air at Haddlesey to the River Ouse, by W. Jessop, n.d., spotted
29. A survey of the county between Newcastle and Carlisle..., n.d.
30. A Plan of the River Chelmer... surveyed by Thomas Yeoman, 1762, spotted
31. William Faden and Thomas Jeffreys, Plan and profile of the intended navigable canal from Mary-Le-Bone to Moor-Fields..., 1773
32. Charles Hutton, A Plan of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, 1770
33. A plan of the intended canal & river navigation from Thrinkston Bridge to Leicester..., 1785, loosely inserted
34. R. Baker, A plan of the Warwick and Braunston intended canal and others with which it will communicate, n.d.
35. Thomas Jefferys, A plan of the intended navigable canal, from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Eccleston in the County Palatine of Lancaster to Kendal and Westmoreland, 1772
36. A plan shewing the Lines of the intended Canals via the London and Western... and their Connections with the Ports of London, Bristol, Gloucester, Liverpool, Hull, &c., n.d.
37. A plan shewing the Lines of the intended Grand Junction and Hampton Gay canals, and their Connections... by means of the present inland canals, n.d.
38. Observations on the Projected Scheme of Canal Navigation, from the Grand Junction Canal, at Norwood to Paddington, n.d.
39. A plan of the encampment on Warley Common, taken on the spot, August 3rd 1778
40. Plan of the canals between the Ports of Liverpool, Bristol and Hull... and the Cities of Coventry and Oxford. n.d., hand-coloured in outline
41. William Faden, The Course of Delaware River from Philadelphia to Chester, April 30th 1778
42. Robert Sayer and John Bennett, A Plan of the Military Operations Against Charleston... From an Original Drawing sent by an Officer in the Army, 17 May 1780
43. William Faden, A plan of the operations of the King’s Army under the command of General Sir William Howe, K.B., in New York and East New Jersey, against the American Forces Commanded by General Washington from the 12th of October to the 28th of November 1776…, 25th February 1777, hand-coloured in outline
44. William Faden, Plan of New York Island, with part of Long Island, Staten Island & East New Jersey…, 19 October 1776, hand-coloured in outline
45. A Sketch of the Country to which the Abingdon and the Thames and Severn Canals, will open a communication with the City of London, n.d.
46. Thomas Jefferys, A plan of the intended canal in Berkshire from Sunning to Monkey Island, surveyed in 1770, loosely inserted, some spotting and creasing
47. A plan of the intended navigable canal from Leeds to Selby... with a view of the rivers Altre & Calder, n.d.
48. A Mathematical Projection Which Demonstrates the Construction, due Proportion, & Similitude or Likeness to each other, of all the Ten Characters (commonly called Figures) used in Vulgar Arithmetic, 1764
49. A Survey and Admeasurement of Enfield Chase in the County of Middlesex, 1776
50. Pen and ink diagram ("An Octave of the Monochord")
51. Another pen and ink diagram also depicting an octave of the monochord
52. Robert Sayer, A View of the Flaggs that are to be found at Sea..., n.d.
53. John Rocque, Plan of the Peninsula and part of the Isthmus of Gibraltar, n.d., transfer
54. An accurate plan of the country from New York to Philadelphia; with the dispositions of the forces. Extracted from the Gazette of Tuesday, February 25th 1777
55. Carington Bowles, A Perspective View of the Engine now made use of for Driving the Piles of the new Bridge of Westminster, n.d.
56. Engraving of a winnowing machine, captioned "James Sharp. London"
57. A perspective view of the engine, made use of for sawing off under water... for turning the arches of Westminster Bridge
58. Engraved diagram of calligraphy, n.d.
59. William Faden, Plan of the Coast of Cherbourg... third edition, 1 January 1788, hand-coloured in outline
60. B. Lacam, Plan of New Harbour in Bengal..., 30 August 1784, hand-coloured in outline
61. 2 manuscript architectural floorplans
62. A plan of the House & Gardens... at Stowe in Buckinghamshire, n.d.
63. New Invented Waggon, by Dan Bourn, 1763
64. A Plan for admitting the livery into Common Hall, n.d.
65. Engraved table of French verbs, n.d.
66. Engraving of a library bookcase, 1753
67. A Survey of the Entrance of Sierra Leona River by Captain Thompson, of his Majesty's Ship Nautilus, n.d.
68. Plan de la Ville de Brusselles, n.d.
69. Plan de la Ville de Lille..., 1709
70. Plan de la Ville et Citadelle de Lille, 1709
71. Plan de Laville et Citadelle d'Anvers, 1711
72. Engraved French conjugation table, n.d.
73. E. Ryland, A Table Shewing for every Day in the year at noon, how much the Equal or Mean Time is faster or slower than the Apparent or Sun's Time..., 30 May 1752
74. John Rocque, Vues de la Ville de Londres Comme il doit devant & apres l'incendie de 1666..., London 1758
75. David Loggan, engraving of the interior of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, n.d.
76. A New and Correct Plan of the City of Bath, n.d.
77. The City and County of Norwich, 1766
78. An Accurate Map of the beautiful Lake of Ulls-Water..., 16 June 1783
79. An Accurate Map of the Grand Lake of Windermere..., 16 June 1783
80. An Accurate Map of the matchless Lake of Derwent, 16 June 1782
81. Pocklington's Island, 16 June 1783
82. An Accurate Map of the matchless Lake of Derwent, 20 August 1784
83. R. Brookes, Plan of the City of Oxford, n.d., dissected into two sections, creasing and tearing
84. Nouveau Plan Routier De La Ville et Faubourgs de Paris..., 1782 (large folding map), loosely inserted
85. A General Map of the Gran d Canal from Liverpool to Leeds... from an Accurate Survey by Joseph Priestley, n.d.
86. Nolin, Le Canal Royal de Languedoc... (large folding map), n.d.
87. Andrews's Map of the present Seat of War, between Holland, Flanders, and part of Germany, 17 October 1794, hand-coloured in outline
88. John Stockdale, A New Map of Zealand..., 29 November 1792, hand-coloured
89. South Carolina and Parts Adjacent; Shewing the Movements of American and British Armies. [n.d.], inscribed by William Sharp on verso ("W. Sharp Esq. | Fulham"), creasing and marginal tear
90. J. Savage and W. Meyler, A New and Accurate Plan of the City of Bath, 1803
91. 5 manuscript elevations of bridges
92. 2 manuscript floorplans and 3 watercolour diagrams of plants, third watercolour detached
93. Pencil sketch of eagle
94. Sketch of a carriage
95. "Sketch of Mr Miller in pencil"
96. "Sketch of the yacht at Fulham"
97. Pencil and watercolour sketch of a paddle steamer for towing a barge
98. 3 engravings of carriages
99. Pencil and watercolour sketch of a steam-powered carriage based on a design by Mr Hunt of Hammersmith
100. Cooper Willyams, two watercolour sketches (depicting an Irish Common Car and Irish Jaunting Cars, respectively), the former inscribed "To Mr William Sharp Esq."
101. J. Luffman, A Plan of Proposed Improvements between the Royal Exchange and Finsbury Square, 1802, hand-coloured in outline
102. 8 sketches of statues of athletes
103. A plan of the intended South London waterworks..., 1804, hand-coloured in outline