Photographic Services & Permissions

John Smith
The Generall Historie of Virginia, New=England . . .
London,
1632
Slaughter 3055

Decorated by portraits of Elizabeth I, James I, and Charles I placed over the American lands upon which they individually had an impact, this title page is from the most important early book on the English colonies, first published in 1624. The map on the title page covers an area from Cape Fear to Pembroke Bay, Nova Scotia. Virginia is covered with symbols of settlement, and a shipwreck is shown off dangerous Hatteras shoals. Crab, schools of fish, whales, and sea monsters populate the water at the top half of the page. To the left and right are the insignia of the Virginia Company and the Council of New England, surrounded by views of their wondrous landscapes.