Edward Quin

Having studied law at Oxford, Quin was called to the bar in 1823. He had a particular amateur interest in history, and is best known for his Historical Atlas, published in 1830. In it, he used aquatint to illustrate geographical enlightenment by depicting the unknown as black clouds that peel back over succeeding maps to reveal the world as known at various points in time from “the deluge” to 1828. The work was intended to educate school children about the history of the world, presenting history as a consistent and uniform whole, giving a rapid view of all great political changes in human society. The final map, created in the year of his death, depicts the End of the General Peace in 1828.