Natal and Kaffraria

John Tallis (1817 - 1876)

English publisher, map seller, and entrepreneur best known for the illustrated atlas that bears his name and for his wide-ranging commercial ventures in mid-nineteenth-century London.

Born into a publishing family, Tallis was the son of John Tallis (1789–1845), a mapmaker and printseller. After his father’s death he expanded the business under the name John Tallis & Company, operating from London and New York. He became particularly noted for the publication of The Illustrated Atlas (1851–1854), a richly embellished series of steel-engraved maps engraved chiefly by John Rapkin. These maps are distinguished by decorative vignette views of cities, indigenous peoples, and landscapes, reflecting Victorian fascination with empire, travel, and commerce.

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