Site in course of reconstruction


Etched on Devon's Memory

Introduction and links to contents

Use the map or the links below to locate topographical prints of Devon.


Places: A, B, C, D, E, F-K, L, M-O, P-R. S, T, U-Y and unlocated prints.
These pages may be split as more images are added.

List of sources: 1710-1819, 1820-1829, 1830-1839, 1840-1849, 1850-1879, prints in series, Rock engraved vignettes.

Engravers: Draft listing by engraver.

Themes:
1. The print trade in Devon.
2. Techniques of printmaking.
3. Exeter Cathedral.
4. Roads and transport.
5. Agriculture.
6. Fishing industry.
7. Quarries and limekilns.
8. Libraries.

Biographical dictionary of Devon printmakers.


Drives &c in and about Torquay, 1863-1864
Three albums of topographical prints which have been reproduced in full.
Volume 1.
Volume 2.
Volume 3.
Introduction

The Etched on Devon’s Memory project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, ran from 2002-2003 and digitised over 3,500 topographical prints of Devon, dating from 1660-1870 based on Devon topographical prints 1660-1870 : a catalogue and guide, compiled by John Somers Cocks, which had been published in 1977. The prints depict a wealth of Devon scenes including landscapes, townscapes, buildings and some interior views. The project also created thematic information and a biographical list of illustrators to accompany the images. These are available as research guides.

The present web site was put up after Devon County Council took down the original website that hosted it early in 2017 and the content became temporarily unavailable to researchers. The South West Heritage Trust has been working to remedy this, and the image data is now more easily available through the Special collections help page on the Trust's website, using the online search facility. 

A digitised version of the Somers Cocks catalogue plus some additional material has been produced here as part of the Devon bibliography database. As with other sections of the database it is in the process of adding images and locations and bibliographical details have also to be added to many records. Some links may no longer may no longer work as URLS and image filenames have changed:

​On the Trust's catalogue it is not easily possible to limit a search to Devon topographical prints but the following search strategies may be helpful:

Book. The search facility also includes other types of material, including illustrations.

Title. This will only retrieve records where the words appear in the title of the print.

Author. This will also pick up engravers or lithographers. For thorough searches it may help to put the surname in the keyword box rather than the author box.

Keyword. This is where it is possible to search for the number in the Somers Cocks catalogue. Input e.g. sc1234. Truncation can limit the numbers of records, for example sc078* will retrieve records for Somers Cocks prints numbered sc0780 to 0789. The truncation sc* will limit the search to all records with "sc" (Somers Cocks) control numbers but will also retrieve other records with words which start "sc" e.g. schools. The keyword search is a useful catch-all option for searching as it will pick up terms in most fields. Another way of limiting searches to a particular type of image is to put in a truncation of the technique used: engrav*, etch*, lithograph* etc.

Date of Publication. Please note that if searching for a single year, the date must be put in BOTH boxes. As many dates are estimates, this type of search has its limitations for topographical prints.

Place. Insert the name of the place, normally parish or town to see all prints for a particular locality. The addition of sc* in the keyword box should eliminate records for most books, articles and other items.

Subject. This search locates the principal subject of the print as assigned by the cataloguer.

Select which library/ies to search in: Limit the search to Devon Libraries.

Only include records with images. If this box is checked records which do not have images attached will not be listed.

This page last updated 25 October 2018