Antique Maps by John Tallis (*1817 - †1876)

John Tallis was a British map publisher who, originally from the Midlands, moved to London in the 1840s. In the early stages of his London career, Tallis gained recognition for a series of impressive street views of the city. He initiated a partnership with Frederick Tallis, possibly his brother, but this collaboration ended in 1849.

For the Great Exhibition of 1851, John Tallis published the Illustrated World Atlas, a notable series of decorative world maps that marked one of the final instances of such ornate cartography. The maps were skillfully engraved by John Rapkin. Subsequently, the London Printing & Publishing Company reissued the maps, retaining the Tallis imprint, contributing to his lasting reputation.

In 1858, Tallis ventured into the publication of the widely popular Illustrated News of the World, though he sold it in 1861, and it ultimately ceased publication in 1863.