Francis Paul Becker

 Francis Paul Becker was famous for his Omnigraph (a versatile ruling machine) invented in the early 1840s. This was was designed to apply commonly occuring symbols onto maps automatically, saving the engraver time and effort. Becker sold it  to the Ordnance Survey, claiming that it would save £5000 a year on the staff of forty five engravers. It was used until 1875 when the survey decided that it was actually more costly than hand production because of the great amount of manual retouching required by 'Omnigraph'-produced signs’.[1]

Nevertheless, the company of F P Becker & Co., Omnigraph (litho) Engravers, seems to have been very successful and produced maps for a variety of different publishers besides the two entries below: eg Fisher's County Atlas of England and Wales (thought to be the first to use the omnigraph), Adlard's Ireland, Frederic Kelly's Post Office Directories, the map of England and Wales in Barclay's Dictionary, and Scotland in Reynolds’ Geological Atlas. In addition to the two maps listed below, the company of Francis Paul Becker also produced a number of county maps (see Victorian Maps of Devon entries B&B 120, 121, 128, 132 and 134) and some regional maps for Henry Besley of Exeter (c.f. Besley).

Robert Brindley, who published the original Plymouth and Devonport Guide in 1828, compiled The Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Directory in 1830 which was also published by Byers. William Byers was printer, bookseller and bookbinder with various addresses in Fore Street from 1823 to 1852. He was the proprietor and publisher of Devonport Independent and Plymouth and Stonehouse Gazette from about 1840 to 1852 and published later editions of A Walk Round Mount Edgcumbe, a popular guide (see Cooke). 

He published the second and subsequent editions of Henry E Carrington‘s The Plymouth and Devonport Guide until 1850. He advertised himself as Bookseller &c to Duke of Clarence 1828-1830 and subsequently as Bookseller etc. to (late) King William IV (up to) 1843. Byers is also noted in Somers Cocks for a number of Devon scenes, some after leading artists such as J D Harding and Louis Haghe, sometimes in association with S Saunders.



Becker 1 below replaced a similar, but slightly smaller, map by Brindley (c.f.) circa 1840. 

Becker 2 is a map of North Devon for a guide to Ilfracombe - click here

The following county maps were prepared by Becker (click to access):

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 120, Fisher´s County Atlas

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 121, Route Map for Besley

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 128, map of Devonshire for Besley

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 132, Post Office map for Kelly

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 134 maps of North Devon and South Devon for Besley

Becker 1

Size: 240 x 305 mm.   (1 = 80 mm) SCALE OF ONE STATUTE MILE. 

THE THREE TOWNS of PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE and DEVONPORT. with imprint: Published by W. Byers, 32, Fore Street, Devonport. (Ee). Signature: ENGRAVED BY THE OMNIGRAPH, F. P. BECKER & CO. PATENTEES, LONDON (CeOS). Scale bar (Ae).

Plan of the three towns with Torpoint shown (Aa) and the Breakwater (Ce) with Oreston just shown (Ec).               

1. 1840  The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by H E Carrington... Fourth Edition

London: Longman & Co. Devonport: W Byers. (1840[2]).        BL, Pl*, [NDL]. 

The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by H E Carrington ... Fifth Edition

London: Longman & Co. Devonport: Byers & Son. 1843[3], (1850).     TQ, KB; BL[4].

 


[1]  Quoted by David Smith; 1985; p. 17.

[2] The last date in text is December 1837 (p.7). Dedication to King William IV retained (died June 1838) and title page Bookseller to his late Majesty; BL dates its copy to 1840 - 10368.aa.22. Author’s copy of fourth edition still has previous map by Brindlay (c.f.).

[3] Text unaltered; the last date in text is a note on page 78 that the British Association will honour the town by holding their annual meeting there in 1841. Dedication to King William IV retained (died June 1838) and title page Booksellers to his late Majesty.

[4] BL 1606/1474.

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