MEDIA
The Generall Historie of Virginia
Original Author: John Smith, author; John Barra, engraver
Created: 1624
Medium: Title page
Publisher: Documenting the American South

The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles

The title page of John Smith's The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles (1624) features engraved images of three English monarchs critical to Virginia settlement, Queen Elizabeth, James I, and the future Charles I. The engraver, John Barra, set the oval portraits atop a detailed map of Virginia and New England that was based on John Smith's travels. The bottom half of the page shows scenes of Virginia Indian life, as well as the wreck of the Sea Venture, the supply ship bound for Jamestown that was caught in a hurricane and marooned for an extended period in Bermuda.