RAILWAYS Prospectus of the Grand Junction Rail-Road Company 1825, bifolium, engraved map of England showing the Grand Junction and its branches hand-coloured in red, contemporary ink inscriptions (one dated June 1825), upper margin trimmed, old folds, some tears neatly repaired, folio (315 x 240mm.), Sheffield, Printed by James Montgomery, 1825 Footnotes: THE ORIGINS OF THE BRITISH RAILWAY SYSTEM. Printed in Sheffield by the prominent editor and poet James Montgomery, this prospectus offers a fascinating glimpse into the speculative fervor of early British 'Railway Mania'. Published around June 1825, it was issued months before the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the world's very first public locomotive line, had opened to the public in September of that year. While most famously associated with the later, highly successful Grand Junction Railway of 1837 engineered by George Stephenson, this abortive 1825 scheme was entirely separate, a distinct and overly ambitious corporate entity that envisioned a vast national network of lines intersecting at Birmingham. Illustrated by W. & J. Fairbank's hand-coloured 'Sketch' map linking London to Liverpool and Bristol to Hull, this document captures the audacious spirit of an era when promoters routinely asked for public capital while openly admitting that 'no actual survey has yet been made,' marshaling an impressive roster of local backers, including Sheffield solicitor Charles Brookfield and the banking firm Walkers, Eyre, and Stanley, before the devastating financial market crash of late 1825 brought the project to an abrupt halt. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing