In the 1690s, Thomas Bowles set up shop in St Paul's Church Yard, publishing and selling prints, with a sideline in maps that might be of interest to visitors passing through the bustling thoroughfare beside the Cathedral. He was followed into business by his two sons, Thomas and John, the former taking over the firm in 1714, with the agreement that he would pay a total of £1,000 to John when he came of age, so he could set up his own business. Thomas went on to become a leading, and highly successful, printseller and publisher, also catering to map buyers with separately published plans of London and its environs, including an early pocket plan of the city, maps of England and Wales, Scotland, the British Isles, the world, and so on.

He was also a partner in a number of atlas projects, notably Ogilby and Bowen's road-book, the 'Britannia Depicta' of 1720, Moll's 'New Description of England and Wales', published in 1724, 'The World Described' from 1726, and the 'Large English Atlas' which appeared in the 1750s. Then, often working in conjunction with his brother, he published a number of interesting broadsheet maps depicting important events of the period, such as theatre of war maps, siege-plans, and battle-plans to supplement the brief accounts in the news-sheets of the day, which were mostly unillustrated.

In cartographical terms, however, it was his brother John who proved the more interesting Bowles: without the benefit of an existing stock to exploit, he had to rely on producing new and interesting maps for his clients. Collaborating with his brother on atlas projects, and avidly buying up existing plates that could be put back into service, John was also a prolific publisher of original material, which he sold separately over his shop counter.

Among these was 'A True Draught of the City of Jerusalem', which he published in 1727.

The highly detailed plate is dominated by a stylized isometric view of the Holy City, with the Temple soaring above the rest of the structures to emphasize its significance. Various sites and structures both within and outside the city walls are identified, and there are numerous illustrations and vignettes presenting people, objects, or events of religious and historical importance. Beneath the view is a long note in four columns explaining the history of Jerusalem, and in each of the side-borders there are six further vignettes displaying scenes from Scripture or depictions of worship.