An interesting and rare series of plates, only known in one other example, and not known to Adams.

Robert Sayer has gathered together a selection of plates from his own, and his colleagues' (Henry Overton, John, Thomas and Carrington Bowles), previously published series of views, originally published in 1730s to the 1750s. Sayer has added a new title-page, and contents leaf (not present). The current collection includes: nineteen engravings of drawings by Canaletto, engraved variously by Grignion, N. Parr, E. Rooker, John Stevens, J.S. Muller, and Thomas Bowles, although, according to Constable, the original drawings are currently not known; Sayer's edition of the suite of 'Fourteen Perspective Views of antient Churches and other Buildings'; eight plates of Scotland; six of Dublin; three of Oxford and one of Cambridge. The majority of the rest are of London.

In the context of a reissue of seventy-one of the plates by Laurie in 1840, Adams writes: "The collection is therefore invaluable since it incorporates in a single volume a number of mid-eighteenth century prints usually only to be found in topographical collections scattered throughout many portfolios... moreover they afford a unique composite picture of Georgian London and a reconstitution of the portfolios which the prospective purchaser of London views would be shown at Sayer's shop in the 1760s".

In January 1747, Robert Sayer's (1725-1794) elder brother James married Mary Overton, widow of the print- and mapseller and publisher Philip Overton, and by the 20th of December 1748, he had taken over the firm and continued to run it until his health broke down in about 1792. This gave him a substantial stock to which he added selectively, at first working in partnership with other publishers, notably Thomas Bowles (II) and John Bowles, but also William Herbert. As a result, Sayer became very wealthy, but by about 1790 he was suffering from ill-health; in about 1792 he took on Robert Laurie and James Whittle as junior partners and sold them the business, again on favourable terms, with them taking control on 12th May 1794, after Sayer's death.

Rare: only one other example known, sold at Christie's, 1995, with 115 plates