W H Foster & Co.

W H Foster and George Sellick distributed a map of Plymouth at the same time. As Foster's map has the legend "Lithographed and Published" it has been assumed that he originally published the map (in covers) and that George Sellick was able to purchase copies from him. These were adorned with adverts on the reverse especially for him.
Sellick produced an album of views of Plymouth c.1890. The views are photo-lithographic views on one long concertina pull-out. There were 24 views (one double page, several two to a page) on 18 pages. A Tips for Tourists page was pasted in, and stuck onto the back cover was the large folding map. The map, as Foster's, is dated 1890 and, in addition, two adverts on the reverse of the map mention dates of 1889 and 1890.
According to the Sellick company website, Sellicks was established in 1840. It was originally owned by the Sellick family and traded mainly as a retail stationer and bookseller. When the last of the Sellick line, George Sellick, died the company was bought out by Percy Smerdon in 1935, Percy being the shop manager at that time. As they grew up, Percy’s two children, Lawrence and Nellie, both helped in the business until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the Blitz of Plymouth, the shop was completely destroyed, and Sellicks ceased trading for about two years. Percy died in 1947 but when Lawrence came out of the army the same year, he set up the business once again, trading initially from the family home in Plymouth. He set up a wholesale side to the business, and he added toys to the range. Lawrence’s three sons all joined the business during the sixties and early seventies and today jointly own and co-manage the company. Lawrence retired in 1989 just after the business relocated to Lee Mill.


Size: 400 x 550 mm. (1/2 = 75 mm) 6 INCHES TO A MILE.

1. 1890 MAP OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, STOKE, MORICE TOWN & FORD. (Ce). Imprint: Lithographed and Published by W H Foster, 86 Treville Street below title and COPYRIGHT – TO DATE MAY 1ST 1890 just above the scale bar.
Detailed map of the area around Plymouth. The area covered is from Westonmill Lake to NDL Pool on the River Tamar (west) to Oreston on the mouth of the Plym (east). The most northerly point is Beaconsfield just above the Albion Football Ground (Ca). Panel of Municipal Divisions (Ae) and map is coloured to show same.
The map folds into covers with a cover title: New Map of Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse and Neighbourhood ... of all stationers, or W H Foster & Co., Treville Street, Plymouth.

Map of Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse and Neighbourhood – Grey card cover
Plymouth. W H Foster. (1890). DevA, KB.

2. 1890 Title is now: GEO. H. SELLICK’s PLAN OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, STOKE, MORICE TOWN & FORD, 51, BEDFORD STREET, PLYMOUTH. Also COPYRIGHT, 1890 above scale bar. Note (CeOS): For Photographic Views of Plymouth and Neighbourhood see display at the VIEW DEPOT SHOW ROOM, 51, BEDFORD STREET, PLYMOUTH. Panel of Municipal Divisions deleted and map is uncoloured.


Geo. H Sellick‘s New Album Plymouth Views
Plymouth. George H Sellick. 1890. KB.

3. 1891 Title reprinted: PLAN OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, STOKE, MORICE TOWN, FORD &c, with imprint directly below: Published by BAZLEY & COMPANY, 52, Bedford Street, Plymouth. Also COPYRIGHT - 1891 above scale bar. Note below map: Photographic and other Views of Plymouth and neighbourhood, Guide Books, Maps, Plans &c., in endless variety, at BAZLEY & COMPANY Booksellers, Stationers, &c., 52, Bedford Street, Plymouth.


Bazley‘s Views of Plymouth and Neighbourhood With Guide & Plan of the Three Towns
Plymouth. Bazley & Company. 1891. KB.

4. 1893 MAP OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, STOKE, MORICE TOWN & FORD. Size has been reduced to: 345 x 470 mm (Compton is now in the top right corner). Fewer buildings have shading. Imprint: PUBLISHED BY W H LUKE 8, BEDFORD ST., PLYMOUTH.


W H Luke's Handy Guide to Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse and Neighbourhood – by W H K Wright
Plymouth. W H Luke. (1893)[1]. DevA, KB[2].

5. 1897 Size has been increased to approx: 465 x 630 mm. Newly engraved title: NEW MAP OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD,. Imprint: Lithographed and published by W H Foster & Co., 86 Treville Street, Plymouth. Copyright. (Ce, below title). Map slightly extended to east to show Chelson Meadows and the race course and to north(west) to include St Budeaux. Railways added in red to Sutton Pool and to the Plymouth Chemical Works at Cattedown. Line over Plym to Pomphlett Station (and on to Yealmpton?). No note below map but Drakes Island outside border (BeOS). A few additions in north: Hartley Reservoir, Stonehouse Reservoir but largely as Sellick.

New Map of Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse and Neighbourhood– in card cover
Plymouth. W H Foster & Co. (1897). BL[3].




[1] Manuscript date on flyleaf is 1894, but map may be earlier. The last census figures are those for 1881 and text has reference to a library dated 1890 (p. 51). However, tourists to Kingsbridge are told to travel to Kingsbridge Road Station; the line to Kingsbridge being built in 1893.

[2] The map is partly assumed. There are only fragments of the map remaining in the copy mentioned here. The lack of shading for many buildings (present in the other two 1890 states could indicate that this was the first edition. However, Foster's imprint seems to indicate otherwise.

[3] BL2140.(13.) which has the date 1897 in manuscript on the cover. BL has 4 titles for W H Luke from 1851-1885.

 

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