An unrecorded state of William Collier's plan of Windsor and Eton College.

Although neglected by the early Hanoverian monarchs, Windsor Castle had become a popular tourist attraction by the early 1740s, thanks both to the castle's collection of curiosities and the care taken of Windsor Great Park by the Duke of Cumberland. There is an inset at the upper left corner showing the east prospect of the castle, before George III began a programme of renovation when he took the throne. The inset at the upper right shows the garden designed by Henry Wise during the reign of Anne, the last Stuart monarch. A note on the map itself explains that the design was never executed, but plans have been made to do so. The key to the right shows the principal architectural features of the school and the castle.

The plan was surveyed and drawn by William Collier (fl 1742-1745) an artist, surveyor, and mapmaker based in Eton. Collier's career would appear to have been brief, and only a few examples of his work are known. As well as the present plan he also produced, in the same year, a view '... of the Royal College of Eton...', engraved by John Pine, and a set of manuscript plans of St Bartholomew's Lock Hospital (St Barts in London), dated 1745, and housed in the British Library.

The engraver, John Pine (1690-1756) was an important figure in eighteenth century British art. He was a friend and collaborator of Willam Hogarth; he engraved John Rocque's monumental map of London; and, with Hogarth and George Virtue, he managed to secure early legislation for artists' copyrights. The map is dedicated to Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough; the cartouche is decorated with his arms. Marlborough was educated at Eton, and had recently distinguished himself in the War of the Austrian Succession.

The present example of Collier's map is a later state with both his imprint removed, and the title cartouche and dedication reworked. The plan now bears the imprint of the Eton publisher Joseph Pote (?1703-1787), who had an extremely successful career supplying books to Eton College. He even ran a boarding house for students. The only change to the cartography is the addition of 'Lord Sidney Beauclerk's Gardens' to lands to the south of Prescod (Peascod) Street.

We unable to trace any institutional examples of the present state of the plan.