Antique Map and View of Lisbon (1755) — Elizabeth Bakewell, River Tagus & City Before the Earthquake

An extraordinary 1755 map and panorama of Lisbon, engraved and published by Elizabeth Bakewell, one of the few prominent female map publishers of the 18th century. This two-part composition, combining a bird’s-eye map of the River Tagus and the city’s harbor with a panoramic view of Lisbon from the river, offers a vivid glimpse of Portugal’s capital just before the catastrophic earthquake of November 1, 1755.

The upper panel, titled “A General View of the City of Lisbon, the Capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, before the late dreadful Earthquake,” presents a detailed engraving of the pre-earthquake skyline, with churches, palaces, and fortifications carefully numbered and referenced below. The lower map, “A Map of the Mouth of the River Tagus or the Harbour of the City of Lisbon,” depicts the approaches to Lisbon, including Belem Castle, Cape Roxant, and Oeiras Bay, surrounded by decorative cartouches and nautical soundings.

Published in London by Bakewell and her son Thomas Bakewell, this work served both as a memorial to the lost city and as a practical chart for navigation. Its artistry, historical significance, and rarity make it one of the most important Lisbon views ever engraved, bridging cartography, tragedy, and the early modern fascination with disaster and urban rebirth.

A deeply evocative artifact, both an 18th-century map of exploration and a testament to one of Europe’s greatest catastrophes.

Product features
- Museum grade paper for archival quality
- Vibrant colors printed with pigment inks
- Easy to hang using double-sided tape or tacks
- Available in multiple sizes to fit any space

Care instructions
- If the poster does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC

Warnings, Hazard: For adults, Made in China

Care instructions: If the poster does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.