The Architectural Library of the late Derek Gibson, Part 1 Auction

Starting off our auction highlights this week is John Rocque's fascinating A Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster and Borough of Southwark. The engraved, 24-sheet map extends west to east from Hyde Park to Limehouse, and north to south from New River Head to Walworth. This magnificent 18th century wall map is larger than any earlier published map and hit a sensational hammer price of £47,000, eclipsing it's £20,000 to £30,000 estimate.

Second on our list of featured lots is this fascinating collection of Vitruvius Britannicus & The New Vitruvius by pioneering Scottish architect Colen Campbell. It's rare to find all 7 volumes together, with the later Richardson volumes particularly scarce. Arguably Campbell's monumental work, promoting the virtues of neo-Palladianism and featuring many of the great houses of England, these volumes had a final hammer price of £15,000.

Next up in our auction highlights is Master of the Merchants of Paris Michel-Étienne Turgot's magnificent plan of Paris, comprising twenty sheets forming a single bird's eye plan within a decorative engraved border. The extraordinary detail provides a fascinating guide to the city prior to its development by Haussmann in the 19th century. This excellent piece of work smashed its £6,000 - £8,000 estimate for a final hammer price of £12,500.

Our next highlight from Forum's The Architectural Library of the late Derek Gibson auction is this 1794 first edition of landscape designer Humphry Repton's first book. Compiled from his famous 'Red Books' - drawn up for prospective clients, including watercolours with before and after overlays - Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening more than tripled it's minimum estimate of £4,000 for a fantastic final hammer price of £12,000.

Our final highlight for this week is this monumental wall map by the Lazarist priest and official geographer of the City of Paris. It took two years to complete following direct observation, and is said to be the first plan of Paris offered to the public. Dedicated to King Louis XV, alongside his portrait in the upper left corner, the engraved map is Delagrive's defining work. The map is rare at auction, and the first to be sold in 20 years, and fetched a hammer price of £10,000.