LAURIE AND WHITTLE.. Laurie and Whittle's Catalogue of New and Interesting Prints: consisting of engravings and metzotintos, &c. of every size and price; books of architecture and ornaments; penmanship in all its branches, by the most eminent masters; drawing books of every description, from the works of the most celebrated artists in Europe; and the greatest variety of humorous and entertaining prints, for country dealers. &c. &c. &c. &c.printed and published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle, map, chart and print sellers, no. 53, Fleet-Street. (successors to the late Mr. Robert Sayer).1795

London: Printed and published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle, map, chart and print sellers, no. 53, Fleet-Street. (successors to the late Mr. Robert Sayer). Royal 8vo (230 x 148 mm), iv, 132pp., original thin blue card biding, paper spine reback, corners chipped, original printed paper label on upper cover, some occasional light spotting to text but overall bright and clean. An extremely rare catalogue with most items priced, though a number are trade bulk prices or priced by the dozen etc. This being historically important as it is an extensive listing of the stock in trade including: Sea Charts, Mezzotints, Penmanship, Drawing Books, Harlequin Books, Paintings on Glass, Dissected Maps, etc. Robert Sayer (1725-1794) was a major publisher and printseller. Having purchased the business of map and globemaker John Senex in 1745, he went into partnership with Philip Overton. After Overton's death Sayer married his widow and continued the firm until 1774. Sayer then entered into partnership with his journeyman John Bennett and traded as Sayer & Bennett but Bennett apparently went mad in 1783. From 1786 the business traded as Sayer & Co. or Robert Sayer & Co. In 1794, at Sayer's death, the business was taken over by his assistants Robert Laurie and James Whittle. Originally assistants of Robert Sayer, Robert Laurie (c.1755-1836) and James Whittle (c.1757-1818) took over the business and stock at 53 Fleet Street. Robert Laurie (c.1755-1836) gained a fine reputation as both map engraver and publisher. He also invented a method of printing mezzotint engravings in colour, which provided an incomparable finish to his grand maps. Laurie and Whittle published a large number of Land and Marine atlases, and styled themselves "Chat-Sellers to the Admiralty". Not listed on ESTC; JISC locates copies at the Paul Mellon Centre Library and British Museum Library.