Undated as issued, published in London in 1859, this is a delightfully humorous folding hand coloured chart depicting a cross section through the geological time scale from the Cambrian period to the most recent formations, using mostly British rock formations, but also including The Paris Basin, the lower part of the chart depicts the different rock formations in cross section along with different geological terms, divided into 31 numbered sections, each of these sections illustrated with a humorous cartoon, ie, the geological term extensive denudation is illustrated with a barber shaving a mans bald head, and The Oolite formation has a cartoon with a woman's large crinoline dress alight in flames. Housed in pictorial hardcovers, the chart is over 10 feet in length when fully extended. There is a professionally repaired clean tear to the last illustration depicting a lady in a collapsed bed, which as can be seen in the pictures is not overly noticeable, a few small marks and some rubbing wear, some darkening to covers else in nice general condition