The wonderful world of antique maps and charts.

Embarking upon a new collection can be a thrilling affair. Whether one consciously decides to begin collecting rare maps, stumbles upon an old chart amongst the family papers, or is presented with an antique map as a gift, there is an incredible new world of awareness, information to be gleaned, and glorious images to be enjoyed. As with all truly satisfying collections, the wonder of discovery that is experienced the first time one sees an unusual or fascinating map, lasts a lifetime. Traditionally (and mistakenly) regarded as a male domain, cartographic collecting appeals to people of both sexes and all ages. Anyone with an interest in geography, history, art, genealogy or even general nostalgia can find him or herself spell-bound by antique maps and charts.

Map enthusiasts have many different motivations for their collecting. They may wish to create a fine display of framed maps along the hallway of their home for everyone to enjoy, or they may wish to add a studious perspective to their office. When hung on the wall a well-framed map or chart adds a touch of distinction to a work environment, that may be just that little bit more conducive to business. Antique maps are among the most enduring collectable works, enjoyed for their decorative as well as informative aspect. They are also excellent investment items, as everyone is interested in the early charting of the world.

Perhaps the collector will secrete the maps in special conservation storage - to be brought out on rainy days, or presented for the edification of captive visitors and family members, and peered over with a magnifying glass. The narrative of voyages and discoveries are encompassed within the outlines of the countries and the beautiful decoration of the vignettes (engraved views) and borders and cartouches (title pieces) reveal hours of painstaking artistry. The finely engraved charting of coastlines, as well as being indicative of the progress of mankind, also sometimes revealed through their inaccuracy, the competitive and artistic nature of their creators!

Particularly sought after are the beautifully embellished antique double-sphere world maps; but some collectors prefer the obscure and frequently bizarre maps, particularly those featuring the last areas of the world to be accurately charted which show the assumptions of engravers and cartographers in the interim period. The varying coastal outlines of the west coast of Canada and the east coast of Australia were among the last great land masses to be correctly charted. Maps showing California as an island are also eminently collectable.

Earlier maps show the large island continent of Australia as an odd sort of land mass, attached perilously to the tip of New Guinea and either lacking an eastern seaboard, or with the coastline widely exaggerated in its projection into the Pacific Ocean. The maps from the late eighteenth century in contrast, are a credit to the perseverance of Captain James Cook on his voyages across the Pacific to discover the east coast of this great south land. The accuracy of his eventual charting of both Australia and New Zealand is marvelled at today.

The early maps of the South Pole and Antarctica regions showed for centuries a large land mass, assumed to exist long before its discovery if only because it must surely prevent the unbalancing of a global world where the northern lands, particularly Europe, were well-mapped and relatively densely populated.

As with other historical documents, the price of a map depends largely on its age, rarity, and condition. The first maps, printed from woodblocks, date from the late 1400's. Originally produced as woodcuts, they were later engraved onto copper plates for greater longevity of the base to print from, and for printing with more finesse of detail.

After many years of engraving on copper plates in Italy for printmaking, from the middle of the sixteenth century when the centre of map production moved there from Germany, copper plate engraving superceded woodcuts in the field of map-making. It proved particularly successful in this field. In the case of some maps, the relatively soft copper plate was beaten flat from the back and re-engraved with updated information or details of a new publisher over a period of up to 150 years after initial production. Different states of an engraving assist in determining the source and publication date of a map or print.

Right from the beginning, printed maps were regarded as collector's items: richly embellished, decorative maps were presented to royalty and visiting dignitaries, even during the Middle Ages. The early voyages of discovery were often funded by royalty who were subsequently presented with a wonderfully decorative hand-coloured map detailing the new chartings from the journey.

Antique maps and charts, as with other antiques works of art, are far more pleasurable as investment options than committing finances to stocks and shares or investment funds. The ongoing enjoyment derived from gazing upon them enriches by more than the financial aspect. A good quality rare map is undeniably a plausible investment option. As the demand for rare maps and charts increases and the supply ever decreases, their value inevitably appreciates, particularly with wise selection of the most scarce and the very best affordable.

Whilst the cost of an individual map will vary considerably, its impact and enjoyment won't depend on the price. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Antique maps can be obtained for relatively little outlay; it depends on where you want to start. For the more discerning or scholarly collector, the grand and rarer images usually are obtainable for a proportionately higher outlay. Although the value depends on an item's rarity, quality and condition, a careful and diligent collector can often find a bargain, which will be an enduring source of great delight and satisfaction.

As in all things, the greatest appreciation in value of an investment comes with careful purchase of the best quality, - particularly if rare and in high demand. The most enjoyment on the other hand, is derived when the purchase has special personal value; its value to the recipient probably would eclipse investment potential!

The final decision to purchase your first (or fiftieth!) antique map should be dependent on your own individual taste and requirements. Some collectors like their maps to be coloured, whilst others are 'purists', preferring only original colouring or even collecting only black-and-white printed maps. Whilst many maps did have contemporary (of the period) colour, the later addition of watercolour embellishment certainly adds decorative appeal to many which were published and released uncoloured. Contrary to expectations, the addition of colouring often adds to their value if it is complimentary to the style and period of the work. The same applies to most antique lithographs and engravings.

If you are not sure of the authenticity of a work, as with any subject, contact a reputable dealer. Scarcity of a particular map is also most easily gauged by talking to an established antique map dealer, who should be aware of what periodically becomes available, either between dealers, at auctions, or these days, on the internet. They know from experience just how difficult it can be to locate a particular antique map or chart.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to tell exactly how many prints were made of a particular map. Some more important works such as atlases and journals or portfolios on a well-funded expedition included a list of subscribers when originally published. These were the royal and otherwise 'notable' patrons who contributed funds to enable the information to be compiled and the map subsequently to be engraved, (and who were usually presented with an exceptionally embellished copy of the work). In these cases this provides a clue only as to the minimum number of copies produced. In some cases insolvency resulted in less than the subscribed number of maps being printed by the publisher.

In addition to the terms covered in the Reference Library of art-emporium.com Glossary of frequently used terms with maps and charts:

Carta Marina: Usually rhumb lines feature across oceans, on sixteenth century world maps.
Cartouche: The title of the map and description of the subject matter, the cartographer and his rank, the patron or royal personage for whom the chart was prepared, and the date of either the voyage described or the publication of the map were all enclosed within a border. By tradition, the more important or elegant the map, the more elaborate the information and the scrollwork or decorative border around the information.
Compass Rose or Wind Rose: A star-shape from which rhumb lines often radiate. North is traditionally indicated by the longer pointer on the star.
Composite Atlas: An atlas compiled by a publisher from a collection of miscellaneous maps by different mapmakers.
Gore: A section of a globe printed on paper, intended to be cut out and pasted together to form a spherical shape, - usually elongated.
Loxodromic Lines or Rhumb Lines: Lines criss-crossing old charts at various angles, usually along the compass directions, to assist in plotting navigational courses.
Outline Colour: Colouring of the coastlines, and sometimes borders and boundaries as well.
Panels: Rectangular frames enclosing views or figures around the edge of the map or chart they illustrate.
Periplus: A text of sailing directions used in classical times.
Portolan or Portolan Chart: Sea chart prepared for mariners from around the fourteenth century through to the sixteenth century. A manuscript, drawn by hand, they were usually of animal skin to increase durability.

Antique maps were sometimes produced by a collaboration of many individuals.

A map may have been surveyed, drawn, and engraved by three different people, for an atlas edited by a fourth, published by a fifth and later reissued by a sixth and often later reissued by many others!

As with antique prints, the custom of assigning early maps to a particular person varies; often dependent on the prominence of the style of publication. For instance, atlases published by Ortelius and Blaeu, or the later Tallis maps are of a particular style and are usually attributed to these mapping houses rather than to the cartographer or engraver whose name might appear on the map itself.

Chronological summary of map engravers, publishers, cartographers & their work:

Claudius PTOLEMAEUS (AD87 - AD150)

Claudius Ptolemy is widely considered to be the father of cartography. Living in Alexandria at a time when it was the prime centre of learning, and the hub of trade between east and west. Ptolemy was a Greek mathematician, astronomer and geographer, and achieved pre-eminence in all these sciences. For fourteen centuries the astronomical theories of Ptolemy were accepted, until they were finally put to rest by Isaac Newton.
It was Ptolemy whose maps introduced the method of geocentric orientation, grid structure and mathematical projections, and names of latitude and longitude. Unfortunately, Ptolemy subscribed to theoretical conceptions where knowledge was lacking. In about AD150, he published his major geographical work "Geographia", a work in eight volumes which is said to have contained a world map, twenty-six regional maps, and numerous smaller maps. It is not possible to verify their existence as the earliest maps that have survived are of the twelfth century.
There were no maps in the first edition of "Geographia" published in 1475 for the use of Western scholars. The first edition to contain maps was published two years later. Twenty-seven woodcut maps presented the world in the "Ptolemaic" format: a world map, ten maps of Europe, four of Africa, and twelve of Asia. They were to be republished in forty-six editions between 1477 (the Bologna edition) and 1730 (the Amsterdam edition, which also contained maps originally compiled by Gerard Mercator). Despite its distorted view of the world, Ptolemy's reputation was such that his "Geographia" atlas of the known world was accepted unquestioned for over fourteen hundred years!

Francesco ROSSELLI (1445-1515)

Rosselli was an Italian cartographer, engraver and map seller, based in Florence. The world map compiled by Contarini, engraved by Rosselli, and published circa 1506, is the oldest surviving printed map showing any part of the American continent. He is attributed with being the earliest recorded seller of maps.

Bartolommeo Dalli SONETTI (ZAMBERTI) (fl. 1477-1485)

A Venetian sea captain, Sonetti, whose real name was Zamberti, compiled and had published an "island book" circa 1485. These forty-nine woodcut charts of the Greek Islands were the first printed sea charts. Published as "Isolario", they were reissued in 1532 together with a world map compiled by Giovanni Matteo Contarini and engraved by Francesco Rosselli.

Juan de la COSA (circa 1460-1510)

Basque explorer and cartographer, who accompanied Columbus on both his first and second voyages, de la Cosa produced a manuscript map on ox hide, circa 1500. This "Portolan World Chart" which featured America, was the first authenticated representation of the New World.
Owner of the ship 'Santa Maria', de la Cosa, being also the pilot on the voyage, was obliged to hand over the manuscript notes after the voyage to either the Casa da India in Lisbon or to the equivalent Casa de Contratacion de las Indias in Seville. This custom was established in an effort to maintain secrecy over new discoveries, and to control the distribution of cartographic material.

Benedetto BORDONE (circa 1460-1539)

Bordone was born in Padua, and trained as an 'illuminator' and wood-engraver. In 1508 he began printing maps of Italy and the world. The earliest of his maps to survive is his "Isolario" - a collection of maps published in Venice in 1528. Promoted as an 'islands book', it nevertheless featured discoveries in the New World. Precursor to the atlas, this book contained three woodcut maps. They were the world on an oval projection similar to that devised by Florentine engraver Francesco Rosselli, a map of Europe, and a map of Greece and the north-eastern region of the Mediterranean. Reissued in 1534, the definitive edition was published in Venice in 1547 containing 107 maps in the text, plus three folding maps. It was issued again circa 1565.

Martin WALDSEEMULLER (circa 1470-1518)

Born in Radolfzell, on the shore of Lake Constance, Waldseemuller studied for the church at Freiburg. Proceeding to St Die, Lorraine, he studied cartography and cosmography. The adaptation of the name America followed his suggestion in naming the New World in his book "Cosmographiae Intructio" published in 1507. He also used the name the same year on his 36 square foot 12-sheet world map "Universalis Cosmographia", and showed the New World separate from Asia. Waldseemuller thought that Amerigo Vespucci (Americus Vesutius in Latin) had discovered the New World, and this error was not rectified prior to general adaptation of the name. Mercator, one of the most respected cartographers of the time, used it on his world map of 1538.
There appears to be only one copy of "Universalis Cosmographia" and also of Waldeseemuller's "Carta Marina" of 1516, although they were both extensively copied by other cartographers. Waldseemuller is best known for the maps he engraved from about 1507 onwards, for an issue of Ptolemy's "Geographia". This edition published in Strassburg in 1513 is now regarded as the most important edition of that work.

Petrus APIANUS (1495-1552)

Also known as Peter Bienewitz (and Peter Apian), he was born in Saxony, Germany and studied at Leipzig University. Living next in Vienna he set up business in Ingoldstadt as a cartographer, mathematician, astronomer and printer. In 1520 he published a woodcut world map "Typus Orbis Universalis" and another in 1530, both on heart-shaped projection as conceived by Nuremberg mathematician Johann Werner in 1505.
In 1524 Apian's "Cosmographia" incorporated the world map on heart-shaped projection from Reimer Gemma Frisius's book on the principles of triangulation. The Apian-Frisius cosmography became a standard textbook until rendered obsolete in the middle of the seventeenth century. "Cosmographia" was reissued a number of times until around 1650.

Sebastian MUNSTER (1489-1552)

Born in Hessen, Germany, Munster established himself initially as a mathematician and linguist. He studied and became Professor of Hebrew in Heidelburg, moved to Tubingen, and finally in 1529 set up business in Basle. As a cartographer, he published "Typus Cosmographia Universalis" in 1532, 1537 and 1555, Ptolemy's "Geographia" as "Geographia Universalis" in 1540, 1541, 1542 and 1545, and "Cosmographia" in 1544. "Geographia" and "Cosmographia" were published by his step-son Henri Petri, who continued to publish his work following Munster's death. (The edition of 1650 was almost treble the size of the original.)
Having appealed to German scholars to send him information, Munster's "Cosmographia" with its double-page folding woodcut maps, views of large towns, portraits of celebrities, costumes, plants and animals, was widely responsible for the spread of geographical knowledge through Europe. Munster was the first to publish separate maps of the four continents known at that time: Europe, Asia, Africa and America. He also was the first to publish a separate map of England.

Oronce FINE (1494-1555)

A professor of mathematics in Paris, Fine was the most prominent French cartographer of the sixteenth century. In 1519 from a woodcut, he published his first single heart-shaped projection world map. In 1532, he published a large-scale double heart-shaped projection world map De Novus Orbis. In 1536 Fine published a similar map once again using a single heart-shaped projection. A further edition of this world map was published by him in 1544.
His maps were frequently copied by other cartographers, including Apianus and Mercator.

Giacomo (Jacopo) GASTALDI (1500-1565)

Trained as an engineer, Gastaldi became a cartographer and publisher in Piedmont, and was appointed cosmographer to the Republic of Venice. He was considered to be an excellent cartographer and produced a large number of maps beautifully engraved on copper, using a style much copied by his contemporaries. His technique marked the final transition from woodblock printing.
He published many maps, individually and in collections, including an important amended edition of Ptolemy's "Geographia" in 1548. His engraved maps were used in Giovanni Battista Ramusio's important collection of voyages and travels "Delle Navigaziono e Viaggi", and in the Lafreri collections of maps between 1560 and1580.
Gastaldi is credited with separating the Asian and North American continents by a passage which he referred to as the Strait of Anian, after Marco Polo's Kingdom of Anian. This name appeared on many maps until well into the seventeenth century.

Antoine LAFRERI (1512-1577)

A French engraver and map publisher, Lafreri is best known as a publisher of map "collections" which were actually the precursors to the world atlas. Having set up business in Rome around 1544, Lafreri collaborated with Antonio Salamanca, a Roman map publisher, who contributed many maps. In one of his collections, in 1566, Lafreri published Bolognino Zaltieri's map of North America, which was the first published map showing a strait separating North America from Asia, as proposed by Gastaldi some years earlier.

Gerard MERCATOR (1512-1594)

The most famous cartographer after Ptolemy, Gerard Mercator was born in Rupelmonde in Flanders, studied mathematics under emma Frisius, and graduated from the University of Louvain. Originally becoming established in Louvain as a cartographer and instrument and globe-maker, Mercator drew and engraved his first map (of Palestine) in 1537.
During the most important period of the development of map-making, Mercator was pre-eminent. The excellence of his work brought him the patronage of King Charles V.
In 1569 his eighteen-sheet World Map, drawn to his new projection, established his fame. His map of the world with increasing latitudes known as the Mercator Projection is still in popular use today. "The world, on Mercator's Projection", is often observed appended to the top of old maps. Although he was not the inventor of this type of projection, Mercator was the first to apply it to navigational charts so that compass bearings could be plotted in straight lines, which greatly assisted the practical application of maps by which seamen could navigate.
An expert on the construction of mathematical instruments, Mercator transformed the profession of land surveying. To the art of map-making, Mercator introduced italic handwriting to his trade as a qualified copper plate engraver. He produced globes, re-engraved as closely as possible the maps for a new edition of Ptolemy's "Geographia", and published a three part Atlas which became known as The Mercator Atlas, whose publication was completed by his son Rumold following his father's death in 1594.
Although Ortelius was credited with publishing the first atlas, the actual word "atlas" was adopted by Gerard Mercator "to honour the
Titan, Atlas, King of Mauritania, a learned philosopher, mathematician and astronomer".
Mercator's sons Arnold, Rumold and Bartholomeus, and his grandsons Gerard, Joannes and Michael were all cartographers, and all contributed in some way to the great Atlas.

Battista AGNESE (1527 - 1564)

One of the most distinguished chartmakers of his time, Agnese was a Genoese chartmaker who worked mainly in Venice. He was responsible for one of the most important portolan charts of his period. Published in the period 1538-1548, his charts were among the earliest to show Lower California as a peninsular. His technical excellence and the aesthetic beauty of his charts were considerably superior to the previous more utilitarian portolanos.

Gerard de JODE (1509-1591)
Cornelis de JODE (son) (1568-1600)

Born in Nijmegen, trained as an engraver of maps, Gerard de Jode established business as a cartographer, engraver, printer and publisher in Antwerp. He began publishing maps in 1555, and in 1564 published Ortelius's famous 8-sheet world map. Gerard de Jode published his major atlas "Speculum Orbis Terrarum", with sixty-five maps engraved by Jan and Lucas van Doeticum, in 1578, following the expiry of Ortelius's monopoly. Although some of his maps were superior, Gerard's prominence as a cartographer was totally eclipsed by Ortelius who was his main rival. "Speculum Orbis Terarum" is extremely rare, with only twelve copies have come to light. Gerard's atlas received more attention when it was enlarged and reissued as "Speculum Orbis Terrae" in 1578 by his son, Cornelis de Jode.

Diogo HOMEN (fl.1530-1576)

Homen was one of the most important portolan chart makers of his time. He engraved the plates for a sea chart, which was produced in 1569. Showing most of Europe from Denmark to the Mediterranean, it is deemed to be the first sea chart ever printed. Exiled for political reasons, Homen proceeded to England, but ended up in Venice where his sea chart "La Carta del navigar dell'Europa" was eventually published by Paolo Forlani between 1569 and 1571. It was reissued by Lafreri circa 1572, and again in Rome circa 1606.

Abraham ORTELIUS (1528-1598)

Christened Abraham Ortel but better known as Ortelius, he was an eminent Dutch map dealer and the most famous cartographer of the 16th century. Born in Antwerp, Ortelius studied Greek, Latin and mathematics, and set up in business with his sister, dealing in books and as a "painter of maps". In 1564 Ortelius published a World Map in eight sheets, which established him as a map publisher.
Travelling widely, especially to the great book fairs of the day, Ortelius used his contacts among the European cartographers of the time to gather maps which he then engraved in uniform size to produce in 1570 the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" (Atlas of the Whole World). Because of the uniformity of their size and the systematic collection of the maps which were compiled from contemporary knowledge (i.e. not Ptolemaic), this is considered to be the first formal atlas ever published (although the name "atlas" was not adopted until Mercator used it in 1585). With most of its maps drawn by Ortelius and elegantly engraved by Frans Hogenberg, the Theatrum was an instant success and appeared in numerous editions in different languages. Updates were issued, incorporating the latest contemporary knowledge and discoveries, with the final edition appearing in 1612.
Ortelius worked closely with Mercator, adapting his maps for his own publications. He was more commercially minded than Mercator who was of a more scientific inclination. Ortelius worked in Antwerp, one of the world's great commercial centres, and shared the knowledge of the latest maps with Mercator who encouraged and advised him in his work.

Lucas Janszoon WAGHENAER (1534-1598)

The first set of effective navigational charts was "Spiegel der Zeevaerdt" a two part book of forty-four sea charts compiled by Wagenhaer, a Dutch shipping pilot, and published in 1584-5. Jan and Lucas van Doetechem engraved the charts and Christophe Plantin printed them. Deemed to be a "Perfect Description of the sea coasts..", Sir Anthony Ashley in his 1588 translation of the work into English, called it "The Mariners Mirrour" (mirror). The work was so relied on that all pilots' guides hence were referred to as "Waggoners".
From Enkhuisen on the Zuider Zee, Waghenaer was a Dutch cartographer who had trained in navigation since childhood. Working in Leyden, he consulted all the best manuscript material, employed the most up to date knowledge of navigation, and incorporated symbols still used in maps today. Besides drawing and describing the land along the coast, Wagonhaer marked the tidal details, depth soundings, sandbanks, decorative wildlife and compass rose. Precise sailing directions accompanied each section of the coast, and the scale is shown in English, Spanish and Dutch leagues.

Christopher SAXTON (circa 1542-1606)

An English cartographer, born near Leeds in Yorkshire, Saxton was educated at Cambridge and later moved to London. Thomas Seckford was a wealthy and influential lawyer and official of the Queen's court, employed by the Lord Treasurer, Lord Burghley. Under Seckford's patronage, Saxton began a survey of England and Wales in 1574.
The first set of county maps ever printed, and one of the first national atlases was "An Atlas of England and Wales" which Saxton published in 1579, showing Queen Elizabeth as the patron of geography and astronomy. The technique of engraving on copper was somewhat more advance in the Netherlands, so their craftsmen were brought to England to work on fourteen of the thirty-six original plates. Augustine Ryther, although English, produced maps that were a fine example of the Dutch influence in their style of lettering and decoration. Until individual county surveys were done in the second half of the eighteenth century, most county maps of England and Wales were based on this work.
Saxton's atlas was reissued in 1645 by William Web as "All the Shires of England and Wales", and fifty years later by Philip Lea as "The Shires of England and Wales" and in French as "Atlas Anglois". George Willdey reissued this atlas in 1730 from Philip Lea's amended plates, Thomas Jefferys reissued George Willdey's atlas in 1749, and Dicey & Co. reissued it yet again in 1770.
The finest map of the sixteenth century was "Britannia: Insurarem in Oceano Maxima" published by Saxton in 1583. Only two copies have been found of this twenty-sheet wall map of England and Wales. The second copy had a broad engraved border of eighty-five coats-of-arms of the nobility and gentry. Once again owing to popular demand, Saxton's map was reissued a number of times. A reduced version on six sheets, known as the Quartermaster's Map, was engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar (who had been taught engraving by Matthaus Merian) and published by Thomas Jenner in 1645; and reissued over a period of one hundred and fifty years.

John SPEED (1552-1629)

Born at Farndon in Cheshire, Speed lived most of his life in London. Initially he followed his father's trade as a tailor; however throughout his life he had been a keen amateur historian and mapmaker, producing maps for the Queen and the Merchant Tailors' Company, of which he was a Freeman. After joining the Society of Antiquaries, around the age of fifty, he turned his full attention to mapmaking.
Speed is best known for his county maps of Great Britain. Amazingly, the maps Speed draughted for his "Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine" were taken to Amsterdam, engraved there by Jodocus Hondius, and the engraved plates were then taken back to London where they were published by J. Sudbury and George Humble in 1611. This was the first atlas of the British Isles. Its maps were derived from the best and most up-to-date sources available, showing county boundaries, and with the innovation of the incorporation of town plans, and embellished by the coats of arms of local royalty, they quickly established Speed's reputation. These maps remain today the most sought after of all English county maps. Many editions of this comprehensive history were published over the following 160 years, frequently without change to the "1610" date on the map.
John Speed, possibly the most famous of the English mapmakers, had the honour of being the first English cartographer to publish a world atlas. He is considered to be one of only two Englishman capable of producing maps as decorative as the Dutch. (The second was Benjamin Wright who produced magnificent engravings for cartographers Gabriel Tatton (American maps) and Giovanni Mabni (Atlas of Italy).
Speed's 1676 double-sphere map, drawn after Ghent's of 1625, was published for "A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World". One of the first cartographers to show California as an island, this map also marks English settlements in New England, Plymouth and Jamestown. An extremely attractive border is filled with engraved portraits of four famous circumnavigators and celestial drawings. In English, this is a truly special map.
Speed is best known for his county maps of Great Britain with their beautiful engraving, fine lettering, and elaborate ornamentation. In 1627, Speed published "A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World". Its maps became famous for their bordering panels of national characters in local costume and vignettes of panoramic views of the depicted areas' major towns and cities. Combining this with the edition of "Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine" published in the same year, Speed produced the first World Atlas by an Englishman. He was also one of the first cartographers to show California as an island. A miniature version of this "Speed Atlas", engraved by Pieter van den Keere, was also first published in that year.
Speed's double-sphere map of the world with its extremely attractive border incorporating the portraits of four famous circumnavigators together with astronomical and celestial drawings, is truly magnificent and is perhaps the best known of all English world maps.

Edward WRIGHT (1558-1615)

Having studied mathematics at Cambridge, Wright took part in a voyage to the Azores during which problems of navigation arose from the use of the old plane charts. He proceeded to study Mercator's new method of map projection and in 1599 published a treatise "Certaine Errors of Navigation". Unlike Mercator, Wright carefully explained the mathematical principles on which the projection was based.
Initially doubtful of the practicality of the system, when Wright realized Hondius and other cartographers were claiming the formula as their own, he published a book the same year. Wright's "True Hydrographical Description of the World: A Chart of the World on Mercator's Projection" had considerable influence on the general worldwide adoption of Mercator's principles of projection. In his book Wright provided mathematical tables enabling relatively unskilled navigators to make full use of Mercator's ideas. "A Chart of the World on Mercator's Projection" is considered by many to be the most accurate world map produced in the sixteenth century. The work was reissued in 1610 and revised and reissued by Joseph Moxon in a new edition of "Certaine Errors of Navigation" in 1657.

Willem BARENTSZ (circa 1560-1597)

Barentsz (also known as Barentzoon, and in French Guillaume Bernard), was a noted Dutch explorer/pilot who undertook three "strange and wonderful" voyages from 1594, in search of the Northwest Passage in an attempt to reach China and India through the Arctic. In addition to many individual charts, he published "Niewe beschryvinghe ended Caertboek van de Midlandtsche Zee" in 1595, - ten charts of the Mediterranean engraved by Pieter van den Keere. It was reissued many times, including the French edition "Description de la Mer Mediterranee". As Barentsz's charts were complementary to Waghenaer's charts of the Atlantic coasts, they are sometimes found bound together.
The compass roses on Barenstz's charts were the first to indicate magnetic variation.

Jodocus HONDIUS (1563-1612)
Jodocus HONDIUS (son) (1594-1629)
Henricus HONDIUS (son) (1587-1638)

Born in Flanders, Jodocus Hondius (also known as Joost de Hondt) was apprenticed as an instrument and globe-maker and map engraver in Ghent. To escape the persecution of the Lutherans, from 1584 he spent many years in London where he engraved numerous maps, and earned himself an international reputation. This is undoubtedly how he became known by John Speed who employed Hondius in Amsterdam, between 1605 and 1610, to engrave the maps for his "The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine", published in London.
Hondius who became brother-in-law to prolific engraver and publisher Pieter van den Keere, finally settled in Amsterdam in 1593. Jodocus Hondius was one of the most notable engravers of his time, and worked with many of the prominent cartographers and publishers at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century.
In 1604, Jodocus Hondius purchased the plates of "Mercator's Atlas" which, despite its excellence, had been overshadowed by Ortelius' "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum". He proceeded to re-engrave the plates in miniature form as Atlas Minor. Hondius then added about 40 plates, and published an enlarged edition in many languages, still under Mercator's name but with his own name as publisher (Mercator/Hondius series). The success of the atlas prompted Hondius to issue "Historia Mundi" - a miniature "pocket-book" version in 1607.
After Hondius the Elder died, work on both of these atlases was continued by his widow and their sons, and also in conjunction with Jan Jansson.

Petrus BERTIUS (1565-1629)

Bertius was born at Beveren in Flanders and proceeded to Leiden University. After completing his formal studies in Amsterdam where he moved to avoid religious persecution, he travelled extensively through Germany and Russia. On returning to Leiden, Bertius was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Librarian at the University.
Bertius established his cartographic reputation in 1600 with his text for the miniature world atlas "Tabularum geographicarum contractarum". It was a re-issue of "Caert Thresoor" originally published in 1598 by Barent Langenes (fl.1598-1610), with maps engraved by Jodocus Hondius and Petrus Kaerius (Pieter van den Keere). Bertius was brother-in-law to both Jodocus Hondius and Pieter van den Keere.
Originally published by Langenes in Middelburg, "Caert Thresoor" was reissued over a period of fifty years first in Amsterdam by Cornelis Claesz with Dutch and then with French text; and subsequently in 1600 by Claesz and Jan Jansson the Elder, with Latin text by Bertius. It was re-issued with German text in 1612 and 1650; and also re-issued by Bertius in 1616 using newly engraved and slightly larger maps by Jodocus Hondius II. Re-issued as a tiny "12mo" edition in 1639 by Joan Blaeu, in 1649 Janszoon Visscher republished the first edition. The miniature atlas "Caert Thresoor" was very well known!
Petrus Bertius also gained prominence as a cartographer for his "Theatrum Geographiae Veteris" a re-issue of Ptolemy's "Geographia". Published in 1618 and 1619, Bertius based his work on Gerard Mercator's edition of 1578.
A prolific writer on mathematical, historical and theological subjects, Bertius relocated to France around 1620, and was appointed Official Cosmographer to Louis XIII. He died in Paris in 1629.

Pieter van den KEERE (1571-circa 1646)

Also Petrus Kaerius and sometimes Petro Kaerio, Keere moved to London in 1584 to avoid religious persecution in the Netherlands. His sister married Jodocus Hondius, also a refugee there, who most likely taught him the skills of engraving and cartography. Keere engraved a large number of individual maps for prominent cartographers of the day, including Italian cartographer Baptista Boazio's famous map of Ireland "Hiberniae novissima descriptio" of 1592, John Norden's "Speculum Britanniae" of 1593, and much later, Jan Jansson's "Atlas Minor" of 1628.
Keere published "Germania Inferior" (an atlas of the Netherlands) between 1617 and 1622, but probably his best known work was his miniature County Atlas of the British Isles published between around 1605 and 1610, which has become known as "Miniature Speed". Speed's publishers George Humble reissued Keere's maps in 1627, in the same year as publishing Speed's Atlas. Of the 63 maps in this atlas, 40 were re-worked from the original copperplates by Pieter van den Keere, 16 were reduced from Speeds' and 7 additional plates were added. Humble also used the descriptive texts from Speed's larger maps. A very popular publication, it was re-issued up to 1676.

Cornelis WYTFLIET (fl. 1597)

Born in Brabant, France, Wytfliet published only one atlas. Composed of nineteen maps, it was the first printed atlas to be devoted entirely to America. Although "Descriptiones Ptolemaicae Augmentum" was issued in 1597 as a "supplement to Ptolemy", Part II of this atlas contained a world map and a projection of the South Pole "Chica sive Patagonica et Australis Terra" which were both based of Mercator's theories. The latter with its very early interpretation of Australia is particularly interesting. The large-scale map of the Magellan Straits was one of the earliest to be published of this area.
The maps in Part I presented the general knowledge of America's discovery and its geography and natural history. Much of the information was later proved to have been inaccurate.

Willem Janszoon BLAEU (1571-1638)
Cornelis BLAEU [son] (d. circa 1642)
Joan BLAEU [son] (1596-1673)

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Amsterdam was one of the wealthiest trading cities in Europe. It was the base of the Dutch East India Company and a center of banking and the diamond trade, with its people noted for their intellectual skills and splendid craftsmanship.
Willem Janszoon Blaeu was born at Alkmaar in 1571 and was trained in the sciences, in particular astronomy, by Tycho Brahe, the celebrated Danish astronomer. In 1599 Blaeu founded a business in Amsterdam as a globe and instrument maker. It was not long before the business expanded, publishing maps, topographical works, and books of sea charts, as well as constructing globes.
Blaeu's most notable early works were a map of Holland in 1604, a fine World Map which was published 1605-06, and Het Licht der Zeevaerdt (The Light of Navigation), a marine atlas republished in many editions in different languages and under a variety of titles.
At this time Blaeu was planning a major atlas in which he intended to include the most up-to-date maps of the whole of the known world. Progress on so vast a project was slow and not until he bought between 30 and 40 plates of the Mercator Atlas from Jodocus Hondius II to add to his own collection, was he able to publish in 1630, a 60-map volume entitled "Atlantis Appendix". It was another five years before the first two volumes of his planned world atlas, Atlas Novus or the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum were issued. Around this time he was appointed Hydrographer to the East India Company.
In 1638 Blaeu died and the business passed into the hands of his sons, Cornelis and Joan, who continued and expanded their father's ambitious plans. After the death of Cornelis, Joan directed the work alone and the whole series of 6 volumes was eventually completed about 1655. As soon as it was finished Joan began the preparation of an even larger work, the Atlas Major, which was published in 1662 in 11 volumes (later editions in 9 and 12 volumes) and contained nearly 6oo double-page maps and 3,000 pages of text. Frequently considered the most magnificent work of its kind ever produced, although its geographical content was not completely up-to-date or accurate, any deficiencies in that direction were more than compensated for by the fine engraving and colouring, the elaborate cartouches and pictorial and heraldic detail, and especially the splendid calligraphy.
In 1672 a disastrous fire destroyed Blaeu's printing house in the Gravenstraat and a year afterwards Joan Blaeu died. The firm's surviving stocks of plates and maps were gradually dispersed, some of the plates being bought by Frederick de Wit, and by Schenk and Valck; before the printing house finally closed around 1695.
There is often confusion between the elder Blaeu and his rival Jan Jansson who was also known as Johannes Janssonius. Prior to about 1619 Blaeu signed many of his works Guilielmus Janssonius or Willems Jans Zoon. For his later works he adopted the name Guilielmus or simply G. Blaeu.

Sir Robert DUDLEY (1573-1649)

Dudley was the illegitimate son of one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites, the Earl of Leicester, who was eventually forced to acknowledge Dudley as his heir. Dudley was an adventurer at heart. He travelled to the West Indies at the age of twenty-one, and after returning to England, assisted Essex in his raid on Cadiz when he was twenty-three, receiving a knighthood for his services. Following matrimonial problems, he left England and spent the next few years travelling in Italy, during which time he was known by the titles of Duke of Northumberland and Earl of Warwick.
Settling in Florence in 1605, Dudley's accomplishments as a scientist, mathematician, naval architect and navigator brought him fame and the patronage of the Dukes of Tuscany. Over the next thirty years he produced a monumental work which besides maps, comprised the whole field of navigation, astronomical tables, shipbuilding and related subjects. It was the first sea atlas by an Englishman. With maps on Mercator's projection "Dell'Arcano del Mare" (Secrets of the Sea) was published in Florence in 1646. Using 1,000 pounds of copperplate, Antonio Lucini engraved these beautiful charts over a period of twelve years.

William KIP (fl.1598-1635)

An English engraver who with William Hole produced a fine set of maps of the English and Welsh counties. First issued in 1607 with Latin text on the back, they were reissued in 1610 without text on the back, and again in 1637 with a plain back and a number engraved on the lower left-hand corner of the majority of the counties.

William HOLE (fl. 1607-1646)

Hole was an English cartographer who engraved the unusual maps for Michael Drayton's "Polyolbion", a long description of the geography and lore of Britain published in two parts in 1612 and 1622. The maps have an unusual decorative quality: important towns were marked by crowned figures, shepherds were seated on many of the hills and mountains, and nymphs were depicted in the rivers. William Hole is considered to be the first to engrave music onto a copperplate.
He is better known for his county maps, many of which he produced with William Kip.

Claes Jansz VISSCHER (1587-1612)
Nicolaes VISSCHER I (son) (1618-1679)
Nicolaes VISSCHER II (grandson) (1649-1702)
Elizabeth VISSCHER (widow of Nicolaes Visscher II) (? - 1726)

Around 1620 Claes Visscher set up premises in Amsterdam, near those of Pieter van den Keere and Jodocus Hondius. Visscher designed a number of individual maps including one of the British Isles, before buying copper-engraved plates from Van den Keere to produce his first atlas. Visscher made these plates his own by adding historical scenes of battles, for which he had acquired a reputation. His maps sometimes show "Piscator" which is the Latin form of his name.
Claes Visscher established an important dynasty of Dutch cartographers, art dealers, and map publishers. After he died, his son and grandson both issued numerous atlases, which they constantly updated. Following the death of Nicolaes Visscher II his widow continued the business; but it was taken over eventually by Pieter Schenk.

Johannes JANSSONIUS (1588-1664)

More commonly known as Jan Jansson, he was born in Arnhem where his father was a bookseller and publisher (Jan Janszoon the Elder - flourished 1597-1629). In 1612 after marrying the daughter of the cartographer and publisher Jodocus Hondius, he set up in business in Amsterdam as a book publisher.
He began constructing globes, and published his first maps in 1616. In 1617 he issued an edition of Ptolemy. From 1630 until his death in 1638 Jansson was in partnership with his brother-in-law Henricus Hondius, re-issuing further editions of the Mercator/Hondius atlases to which Jansson's name was added.
Continuing the business after Hondius' death, Jansson often copied Blaeu's maps, hence the similarity in style; but contrived to make them even more decorative. Following Jansson's death, his heirs continued to publish. They were second only to the Blaeu family in the quality and quantity of maps they produced during the period of Dutch map-making supremacy of the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the most decorative of Jansson's maps is the double-sphere world, showing the latest discoveries in the Arctic. Actually a re-issue of Pieter van den Keere's map of 1608 with added adornment, its ornate panels depict the elements of the four seasons, the seven planets, and the seven wonders of the world, - a fine example of Dutch cartographical art.
Many of the plates of Jansson's British maps were acquired by Pieter Schenk and Gerard Valck and published by them in 1683.

Matthaus MERIAN (1593-1650)
Matthaus MERIAN (son) (1621-1687)

Merian was a notable Swiss engraver. Born in Basle, he was educated in Zurich, and then moved to Frankfurt where he met Theodore de Bry from a well-known family of artists, and married De Bry's daughter Maria Sybilla.
With German geographer Martin Zeiller, and later with his own son, Merian produced a series of Topographia, incorporating a very large number of town plans, as well as maps of most countries and one world map. Although the twenty-one volumes of Topographia were much in demand and re-issued a number of times, it is his double-sphere world map, perhaps because of its international appeal, which is the best known of his work today.

Abraham GOOS (fl. 1614-1643)
Pieter GOOS (circa 1615-1675)

Abraham Goos established his reputation in Amsterdam as an engraver and produced the plates for maps in the atlases of many prominent publishers, including John Speed's "A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World" of 1627 and the 1652 edition of this atlas. He also engraved maps for the Hondius family to whom he was related. In 1616 he issued his own book of maps "Nieuw Nederlands Caertboeck", which was reissued in 1619 and 1625.
His son Pieter established his own reputation as an engraver when he followed his father into the business and continued to develop it. He is probably best known for his map "Packaerte van Nova Granada en t'Eylandt California", which was published in 1666. Based on Sanson's map of 1656, this is the only atlas map devoted entirely to depicting California as an island, as it was supposed to be in the latter half of the seventeenth century.

John OGILBY (1600-1676)

Ogilby, born in Edinburgh, was one of the more colorful figures associated with cartography. He started life as a dance master and finished as the King's Cosmographer and Geographic Printer. During his life Ogilby built a theatre in Dublin, translated several Greek and Latin works and set up a successful publishing business. He published a number of books dealing with the Americas, Asia and Africa. Twice Ogilby lost all he owned; firstly in a shipwreck, then in the civil war and great fire of London in 1666.
It was through printing though that he was to become famous. Organizing a survey of all the main post roads in England and Wales, he published the first practical Road Atlas, "Britannia" in 1675. The maps were engraved in strip form, presented in the form of a continuous scroll, and gave details of the roads themselves and descriptive notes of the country on either side. Each strip map had a compass rose to indicate direction, and as they were in relatively straight strips, another compass rose and a line across the strip indicated any change in direction. These maps were the first to employ the standard mile. In different parts of the country at that time there were different standards for the length of the mile, which is indicated on maps by an illustration of the different scales applying.

Nicolas SANSON (father) (1600-1667)
Nicolas SANSON (son) (1626-1648)
Guillaume Sanson (son) (? - 1703)
Adrien Sanson (son) (? - 1708)
Pierre Moulard-Sanson (grandson) (? - 1730)

Sanson was born in Abbeville, France. He was particularly interested in ancient history and drew a number of elegant maps with decorative cartouches to illustrate his historical studies. One of his first maps was of Ancient Gaul published in 1629. It came to the attention of the King Louis III, who hired Sanson to teach him geography, appointing him Geographe Ordinaire du Roi.
Sanson was the founder of the first great dynasty of French cartographers. With the assistance of his sons, Sanson produced around three hundred maps and two world atlases. His two maps of North America were particularly important. Amerique Septentrionale was published in 1650 and Le Canada ou Nouvelle France, which was the first map to show all the Great Lakes, was published in 1656.
Having spent much of his time at Picardy on the Flemish border, Sanson employed local engravers, including Melchior Tavernier, to produce his major work "Cartes Generales de Toutes les Parties du Monde". Published with 100 maps in 1654, it was reissued over a number of years with an increasing number of maps.
After Sanson's death the business was continued by his sons, his grandson, and eventually in partnership with Alexis Hubert Jaillot. By 1695 Sanson atlases were the best on the French market. The re-engraving of Sanson's superb maps by Alexis Hubert Jaillot and Pierre Duval established Nicolas Sanson as the earliest important French cartographer.

Cornelis DANCKERTS (1603-1656)
Justus DANCKERTS (son) (1635-1701)
Theodorus DANCKERTS (grandson) (1663-1727)
Cornelis DANCKERTS (grandson) (1664-1717)

The Danckerts family were notable print and map sellers, and engravers, in Amsterdam for nearly a hundred years, between 1630 and 1727. Between 1680 and 1700, Justus and his three sons Theodorus, Theodorus, and Justus II published several editions of an atlas. Justus Danckerts was probably ranked the highest of the skilled engravers of the seventeenth century. His maps were in demand for the wonderful decorative quality of their engraving rather than for their accuracy. The Danckerts produced several grand wall maps of the world and the four continents, including a large map of the East Indies which shows Australia at the lower right with a wonderful heavily engraved procession of animals and figures proceeding across its interior from the undiscovered right side of Australia.
R. & J. Ottens later acquired the stock of plates from the family and reissued the maps, replacing Danckerts' names with their own.

Pierre DU VAL (circa 1619-1683)

A French cartographer, Du Val was the son-in-law and student of Nicolas Sanson, Senior. One of Du Val's earliest works in 1645, was the combination of maps with a simple dice board game "Le Jeu du Monde" in which each circular position was shown by a map of a different country. His first more traditional style map publication was "Tables geographiques de tous les pays du monde" of 1651. Du Val published a large number of atlases, individual maps of the world and the continents, and wall maps. His major work, "Cartes de geographie les plus nouvelle" was a folio-size atlas of 102 maps, which he published in 1672, reissued in 1677, and his daughter reissued in 1688. The miniature (12mo) atlases "Le Monde Christien" and "Geographie Universelle" were issued around 1680-2, the latter being reissued posthumously in 1691 and 1694.

Melchisedech THEVENOT (1620-1692)

Essentially a traveller and author of books on the early voyages of discovery, Thevenot published some wonderful maps. Although they were not always his creation, they were nevertheless exceptionally interesting. "Relations de divers Voyages Curieux" was an important travel book, first published by Thevenot in 1663. In it he presented Australia alone, without being shown in conjunction with adjacent regions, the first map to appear thus. It was also the first French map of Australia. It included the important chartings of 1642 to 1644 by Abel Tasman, of the southern coastline on the mainland and the northern coastline of the island of Tasmania, its most southern state.
In recognition of his scholarly activities, Thevenot was made guardian of the Royal Library in Paris.

Hendrick DONCKER (circa 1626-1699)
Hendrick DONCKER II (son) (circa 1664 - circa 1739)

Over a period of fifty years Doncker ran a successful business in Amsterdam as a bookseller and publisher of sea atlases and textbooks on navigation. Doncker compiled his own charts and they were noted for their accuracy and constant improvement with each reissue.
He worked for many years with Pieter Goos and Anthonie Jacobsz, producing sixty-five charts for a pilot guide "Der Zeespiegel" published in 1655. Subsequently reissued, his stock was finally sold to Johannes van Keulen.

Jean Dominique CASSINI (1625-1712)
Jacques CASSINI de THURY (son)
Cesar Francois CASSINI de THURY (grandson)

Italian Jean Dominique Cassini initially studied theology and law in Genoa, but his interest in astrology led him to diversify his studies to pursue astronomy and mathematics. At the age of twenty-five he was appointed to the Chair of Astronomy at Bologna University, following which he was commissioned from the Papal Office and provincial Senates to carry out surveys in various parts of Italy. Louis XIV of France appointed Cassini as Director of the Paris Observatory in 1669. Cassini became a French citizen.
Cassini introduced new astronomical methods of determining longitude; and in conjunction with Jean Picard and others established an accurate meridian of Paris on the basis of which a new survey of the French coasts was completed around 1681.
In 1693 Alexis Hubert Jaillot published the important work "Le Neptune Francois" (A New Atlas of Marine Charts) in conjunction with Cassini. The World Map of 1696, engraved by J. B. Nolin and regarded as the first scientific map of the world, was based on Cassini's 24-foot diameter planisphere housed in the Paris Observatory.
Cassini's work was continued after his death, by his son Jacques Cassini de Thury, and his grandson Cesar Francois Cassini de Thury. Their "Carte Geometrique de la France", published in 182 sheets in 1733 employed the new scientific triangulation method of cartography which the Cassinis had introduced in 1744. Louis Capitaine produced a reduction of this magnificent work in 1789 on 24 sheets.
Jacques Cassini de Thury, in 1747, introduced the first large-scale topographic mapping programme.

Giovanni Maria CASSINI

An Italian student of Giovanni Baptiste Piranesi, Cassini was an engraver who specialised in architecture and perspectives. In 1798 "Nuovo Atlante Geographico Universale" was published in Rome, and included his map of Australia "La Nuova Olanda e la Nuova Guinea" which was notable for including Cook's charting of the East Coast of Australia prior to Tasman's charting of the southern shores. He also named New Guinea as "Land of Parrots"! His decorative maps usually included grand vignette style cartouches.

Frederick de WIT (1630-1706)

The works of the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit are highly prized collector's items, being notable for the beauty of their engraving and colouring. De Wit was one of the most prominent and successful map engravers and publishers in Amsterdam at a time when the Dutch were the dominent force in cartography. He had acquired many copperplates of the eminent Blaeu and Jansson map publishing houses when they were sold at auction towards the end of their operations. Following the death of De Wit, many of his popular charts were reissued, initially by Pieter Mortier and subsequently by Covens and Mortier.

One of De Wit's more popular charts of the Pacific Ocean, Mare del Zur cum insula California (1680), included the matrix of dissecting 'rhumb' lines, which radiate from the centre of the map, and assisted navigators to chart their way between ports. Australia (or 'New Holland' as it was then named) is connected to New Guinea; Tasmania ('Van Dieman's Land'), discovered in 1642 by Abel Tasman, is still attached to the mysterious great southern land mass, and California is depicted most assuredly as an island off the coast of North America. The beautifully engraved cartouche at the lower right of the map depicts Neptune arising from the sea, under the earnest gaze of the esteemed Dutch explorer, Magellan.

Alain-Manesson MALLET (1630 - 1706) - coincidentally!

A Parisian engineer, Mallet composed the first "modern" book of geography, Description de L'Universe in five small volumes, published in 1683. A German edition was printed three years later. As well as large-scale maps of the current discoveries of Terra Australis and a series of Continent Meridional Australe or Antarctique, Mallet presented quaint little maps with rough outlines showing the standard late seventeenth century concept of the world. He also engraved a series of wonderful copperplates presenting various Greek philosophers' theories of the movement of the planets and the relationship to the planets of life on earth.

Alexis Hubert JAILLOT (circa 1632-1712)
Bernard Jean JAILLOT (son) (1673-1739)
Bernard Antoine JAILLOT (grandson) (? - 1749)
Jean Baptiste JAILLOT (1710-1780)

Hubert Jaillot began his professional career as a sculptor. After marrying the daughter of Nicolas Berey, a prominent map colourist, he became interested in geography and went into partnership with the sons of Nicolas Sanson. After Sanson, Jaillot was one of the most important French cartographers of the seventeenth century. Six years after Jaillot published his first map in 1669 he was appointed geographer to the King. From around 1669 Jaillot re-engraved corrections, enlarged and republished Sanson's maps, both individually and in atlases. In 1674 he published "A New Atlas containing all the parts of the world", which he re-issued in 1690 with a dedication to the Dauphin.
"Atlas Nouveau" published in 1681, was reissued many times, including issues by Pierre (Pieter) Mortier and also Covens and Mortier. As well as being published in Paris, many of Jaillot's maps were printed in Amsterdam by Pieter Mortier. One of Jaillot's most important works "Le Neptune Francois" he compiled with Jean Dominique Cassini, and published in Paris in 1693. These engraved plates were reissued between 1693 and 1703 by Pieter Mortier in Amsterdam, with French, Dutch and English texts, and again in 1753 by Jacques Nicolas Bellin.
Following the death of Hubert Jaillot, his sons and the husband of his granddaughter continued to publish maps and annual postal guides that showed the post roads, until 1780.
Some of the Jaillot-Sanson plates were later bought by Gilles Robert de Vaugondy.

Nicolas de FER (1646-1720)

An engraver and geographer, De Fer was better known for his ingenious ornamentation of his maps, rather than the geographical exactitude of his cartography. Prolific in output, he issued more than 600 separate maps, including three major atlases, sheet maps and large wall maps. "Les Cotes de France" of 1690 and "La France triomphante sous le regne de Louis le grand" of 1693 were published soon after he was appointed Geographer to the King. His maps are revered today for their flamboyant decoration and geographical errors.

Gerard VALCK (circa 1651-1726)
Leonard VALCK (son) (1675-circa 1755)

Gerard Valck and his son were printers, engravers and globe makers in Amsterdam. Following the marriage of Gerard's daughter to Pieter Schenk whom Gerard had been instructing in the art of engraving, their two families established a long business association in map engraving and publishing.

John SELLER (fl. 1660-1697)

Seller was a maker of mathematical instruments and globes as well as a publisher of marine and terrestrial atlases. In 1670 he published "Atlas Maritimus", one of the first English atlases dedicated to the sea rather than to land masses. (Robert Dudley had published an earlier one in Italy.) It was a great success, and resulted in his being appointed Hydrographer to Charles II in 1671 and later to James II. "Atlas Maritimus" was the most successful among the wide range and large number of charts, maps and atlases he published. It was so successful that Seller published a pocket size edition, reducing the size of the maps and adding a few new ones. Seller's "English Pilot" in which he utilized many Dutch plates was published in 1671-72. The five "Books" comprising his "English Pilot" were reissued many times in various formats, the last in 1803!

Robert MORDEN (fl. 1668-1703)

Under the name of "The Atlas" at New Cheapside and Cornhill, Morden conducted his business as a map and bookseller, and maker of instruments and globes. Morden is best known for his British county maps, published in Camden's "Britannia". Whilst he was not an outstanding cartographer, his work was eminently decorative. He produced a large number of single sheet folio-size maps of all parts of the world, but as they were not issued in atlas form, they are rather scarce. He also produced interesting sets of geographical playing cards. His playing card maps exhibited county maps. These published in 1670 and Camden's "Britannia" maps published in 1695 were the first to show roads in any detail.

Claude DELISLE (father) (1644-1720)
Guillaume DELISLE (son) (1675-1726)
Simon Claude DELISLE (son) (1675-1726)
Joseph Nicolas DELISLE (son) (1688-1868)
Louis DELISLE (son) (fl. circa 1720-45)

The Delisle (de l'Isle) family followed the Sansons as a major influence in the development of French cartography at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Like Nicolas Sanson, with whom he studied, Claude Delisle was a geographer and historian. Claude and his four sons all contributed significantly to the field of cartography.
Guillaume Delisle who studied under Jean Dominique Cassini was from his early years quite remarkable. Having drawn his first map at the age of nine, at the age of twenty-seven he was elected a member of the Academie Royale des Sciences. Between 1700 and 1726 when he died, Guillaume published around sixty maps, and was appointed Premier Geographe du Roi, the highest honour in the country recognition of his skills as scientific cartographer and geographer. His maps were re-published long after his death.
Joseph Nicolas and Louis spent many years in Russia and organized a school of astronomy under the auspices of Peter the Great. Between them they compiled extensive surveys of many new parts of Russia.

Herman MOLL (fl. 1678-1732)

Born in the Netherlands, Moll worked as an engraver in London from about 1680 with Moses Pitt, Greenville Collins, John Adair and John Seller. Setting up his own business in Blackfriars, he later moved to St Clement Danes where he remained until his death. He became the foremost map publisher in England, producing more than twenty-five atlases and geographical works, varying from miniature maps to very decorative large maps. Although his maps were not of particularly high quality, Moll managed to keep up to date with the latest discoveries on the Continent, resulting in his work being copied by a number of other publishers.
Since the sixteenth century, California was portrayed variously as island or peninsula. In 1705, Jesuit priests produced a map presenting the findings of Austrian Jesuit Eusibio Francisco Kino, who had spent twenty years at the end of the seventeenth century exploring the south western part of what is today the United States. Not everyone accepted that California was an island. (It took a further one hundred years, until the Spanish king finally decreed "California is not an island", for the fact to be universally accepted.) Despite Moll's clinging to the theory of California as an island, great authority was given to some of his North American maps which were used to support British claims in boundary disputes with France after the War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War) from 1702 to 1713.
In 1724 he reissued "A New Description of England and Wales" as "A Set of Fifty New and Correct Maps of England and Wales" in conjunction with Thomas and John Bowles.

Vincenzo Maria CORONELLI (1650-1718)

Born in Ravenna, Italy, the son of a tailor, Coronelli entered the Franciscan order, became a noted theologian, and was appointed Father General of the Franciscan Order in 1699. Coronelli also acquired fame as a mathematician, cartographer and globe-maker. In addition to the many terrestrial and celestial globes he constructed, in particular a large pair for King Louis XIV, Coronelli also drew and engraved over five hundred maps.
Having in 1680 established the first geographical society, the Academia Cosmografica degli Argonauti, Coronelli was appointed Cosmographer to the Venetian Republic and taught Geography at the University. His great influence at that time led to a revival of interest in these subjects in Italy at the end of the seventeenth century.
Coronelli's first and one of his major works was a large atlas "Atlante Veneto" which he published in 1690-1691. He followed this with "Isolario dell' Atlante Veneto" in 1696-1697. Coronelli maps are distinctive for the visual strength portrayed by his skilful engraving of the outlines of his charts and their decoration. He was without doubt, the greatest Italian cartographer of his time.

Johannes van KEULEN (1654-1711)
Gerard van KEULEN (1678- circa 1727)
Johannes van KEULEN II (fl. 1726-1755)
Gerard Hulst van KEULEN (fl. 1757-1801)
Cornelis Buys van KEULEN (fl. 1757-1778)
Johannes Gerard Hulst van KEULEN (fl. 1810-1823)

Johannes was admitted to the Amsterdam booksellers' guild in 1678. He established the van Keulen family business as publishers in 1680, and it maintained their name until 1823. The business continued under other names until 1885, when its stock of marine charts, navigational instruments and books related to nautical matters, was dispersed at auction following its closure. Several of the family widows maintained the business and its operation following the death of their husbands.
Soon after setting up business Johannes van Keulen published many fine sea charts in the first part to his "Zee Atlas", which was to be his most famous production. The coastlines were strongly engraved with a double line and the cartouches were large and very ornate, usually portraying figures. An English edition was published the following year. "De Groote Nieuwe Vermeerderde Zee Atlas ofte Water-werelt" was expanded and reissued many times up until 1734.
"Zee-Fakkel", the most important sea atlas of that period was published in 1681-2. It charted all the seas and oceans and editions were published in Dutch, French and Spanish. It was improved upon, enlarged and reissued until 1800.
In 1693, the family acquired the stock of rival map publisher Hendrik Doncker.
Gerard assumed control of the family business in 1704. Where is father was primarily a publisher, Gerard was a talented engraver, mathematician and hydrographer and was appointed Hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company in 1714. Gerard was responsible for massive expansion of the business. As well as their famous charts, they published books on every aspect of geography, navigation, seafaring subjects and all things nautical.

Pieter van der AA (1657-1753)

The work of Pieter van der Aa is collected primarily for its decorativeness (the actual cartographic information tended to be adapted from previous sources). This is a very important aspect of map collecting - if it is to take pride of place on your wall, it must be aesthetically pleasing! Thankfully, map-makers were liberal with their decoration: rococo-esque scrolls, rebuses, swags, ornate borders, sea monsters, ships, buildings, and naive attempts at portraying forests and mountain ranges all add to their visual attractiveness. The map Novo Delineatio Totius Orbis Terrarum, was published circa 1713, for a volume of maps entitled "Atlas Nouveau et Curieux", which aptly describes the work itself: definitely curious! The four elements which philosophers believed constituted the earth (fire, air, water and earth), are depicted in the corners, whilst the god of Heaven and the god of the Underworld occupy their respective abodes. The actual format of the two globes is in accordance to that established by Gerardus Mercator.

Pieter SCHENK (1660-circa 1718)
Pieter SCHENK (son) (circa 1698-1775)
Pieter SCHENK (grandson) (1728-circa 1784)

Pieter Schenk was born in Germany but settled in Amsterdam where he became a pupil of the engraver Gerard Valck. In 1687 he married Valck's sister and thereafter the Schenk and Valck families jointly pursued the business of selling prints, publishing books, maps, topographical and architectural drawings and making globes.
Although some of their work was original, most of their atlases were derived from the revised and reworked plates of Jansson, the Fisschers, the Sansons, and others.

Pieter MORTIER (1661-1711)
David MORTIER (1673-circa 1728)
Cornelis MORTIER (1699-1783)
Johannes COVENS (1697-1774)

Pieter and David Mortier were brothers who established an extensive publishing business, covering English and Dutch works as well as their native French. David, having spent many years in England, even acquired British nationality. "Atlas Nouveau", a re-issue of Sanson/Jaillot maps, was published between 1690 and 1708. Jaillot's "Le Neptune Francois" whose charts had been engraved by H. Van Loon, was re-engraved and published by Pieter Mortier in 1693. Mortier established a family publishing tradition of re-issuing maps by many other cartographers. Following Pieter's death, his widow continued his business until Cornelis was able to take over.
Covens and Mortier entered into a partnership following the marriage of Cornelis to Johannes' sister in 1721, and reissued many of Delisle's maps under the name Covens and Mortier. One of the most important and most prolific Dutch map publishers, Covens and Mortier also re-issued general atlases by Sanson, Jaillot, Visscher, de Wit, Valck and Schenk and others. From 1730 until 1800, they published a series of around nine hundred maps by various cartographers and publishers under the title "Nieuwe Atlas". Their publishing house was Covens and Mortier from 1721 to 1778, J. Covens and Son from 1778 to 1794, and Mortier, Covens and Son from 1794 to around 1862.

Joachim OTTENS (1663-1719)
Reiner OTTENS (son) (1698-1750)
Joshua OTTENS (son) (1704-1765)

Within the Ottens family of print and map sellers, Reiner and Joachim Ottens were the most prolific map publishers. They had acquired the stock plates from Danckerts and reissued them, replacing Danckerts' name with their own.

Philippe BUACHE (1700-1773)

Unlike his relative and predecessor the great Guillaume Delisle, Buache was a great exponent of theoretical geography and a pernicious influence on French cartography. Buache republished many maps by Delisle and Jaillot, but his own maps are notable for their inaccuracy; his 1739 maps of Australia and the South Seas in particular. Buache added an east coast to Australia before it was discovered, joining Australia to New Guinea, the New Hebrides (Holy Ghost Land), and made New Zealand part of the Antarctic continent. A prolific worker, he produced "Cartes et Tables de la Geographie Physique" in 1754, "Atlas Geographique et Universelle" in 1762, and "Atlas Geographiqe de Quatre Parties du Monde" between 1769 and 1799, as well as several minor works.
He is better regarded for his theoretical work on the physical aspects of geography, especially relating to mapping the submarine world and devising methods of indicating underwater contours. His theory was to divide the world into a series of cavities or basins, both terrestrial and aquatic; the former based on the principal rivers of the world, the latter on a series ofmountain chains on the sea bed, traceable according to Buache by the exposed points of islands.
His nephew Jean Nicolas Buache de la Neuville (1741-1825) was also a geographer, concerning himself mainly with marine maps.

John SENEX (fl.1700-1740)

Senex, an Englishman, worked first at premises in Cornhill, and later at the Globe in Salisbury Court, off Fleet Street. Although not as prolific, Senex was the main rival to Herman Moll in the map-publishing field in Britain at the beginning of the eighteenth century. His maps are very similar in form, but less ornate. From around 1710 to 1721, Senex issued maps in conjunction with first Charles Price and later James Maxwell, including "A New Map of Great Britain". He published twenty maps for an untitled atlas in 1711, "Map of Ireland" in 1712, and "The English Atlas" in 1714. In 1719 Senex published maps for "World and the Continents", and followed this in larger format, with "A New General Atlas of the World" in 1721. In 1723 Senex reissued John Norden's map of Hertfordshire, which was originally published between 1593 and 1598.
His most notable work was "An actual survey of all the principal roads of England and Wales", which he also published in 1719. The "strip" maps of 1675 by John Ogilby had been the first official road maps of Britain. Senex published one hundred copperplate engravings in a smaller format, correcting Ogilby's maps. These were reissued many times up to around 1775, including a French edition in 1766.

Johann Baptist HOMANN (circa 1663-1724)
Johann Christoph HOMANN (circa 1703-1730)

The most important and prolific mapmakers in the eighteenth century were the Homann family (1702-1803). Following a long period of Dutch domination of the profession. J.B. Homann published his first atlas Atlas Novus Terrarum in Nuremberg in 1707, and quickly acquired great respect and influence in Germany. He was made a member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, and then in 1715 he was appointed Geographer to the Emperor.
In addition to maps on Germany complete with town plans, Homann produced a Neuer Atlas in 1714, a Grosser Atlas in 1737, and an Atlas Maior with over 300 maps circa 1780. After Johann Baptist's death his son directed the firm, until 1730 when it was bequeathed to his heirs (Franz, Hase or Hasius, and Ebersperger) on condition that it continued to trade under the name of Homann Heirs. This firm had a wide influence on map publishing in Germany over the hundred years of its operation.
The maps of the Homanns were issued plain as well as colored. The coloring when used was somewhat harsh and crude, the cartouches with which the maps were decorated being usually left plain. As usual, a few examples, no doubt for special clients, had the cartouches fully painted, and such examples were more carefully colored and are very fine.

Georg Matthaus SEUTTER (the Older) (1678-1756)
Georg Matthaus SEUTTER (the Younger) (1722-1762)

Seutter served an apprenticeship to the Nuremberg map publisher Johann Baptiste Homann. Later moving to Augsberg, in 1707 Seutter he set up his own very successful business constructing celestial and terrestrial globes. He became very successful and was appointed Geographer to the Imperial Court of Charles VI. Soon becoming the principal rival of his previous master, Homann's influence is clearly evident in Seutter's maps with their heavy engraving and large ornate cartouches abounding in people, flora and fauna.
His elaborate Atlas Novus (Magni Turcarum Dominatoris Imperium) was first issued in Vienna in 1728. He published a Grosser Atlas in 1730, and an enlarged edition of Atlas Novus in 1750. After his death the business was continued by his son, Georg Matthaus Seutter (the Younger), and subsequently by his sons-in-law Lotter and Probst.

Edward WELLS (fl. 1700)

A mathematician and teacher of geography, Wells issued "A New Sett of Maps both of Antient and Present Geography" in 1700. Geographically unremarkable, they were interesting for their strong engraving and decoratively bold and colourful cartouches.
Wells was one of the last cartographers to show California as an island.

Henri Abraham CHATELAIN (1684-1743)

Henri Abraham Chatelain published his Atlas Historique, ou Nouvelle Introduction a L'Histoire, a la Chronologie & Moderne, more commonly known as The Chatelain Atlas, between 1705 and 1720, with further issues until 1739. Within it, the Carte tres curieuse de la Mer du Sud.. is one of the most informative and impressive maps to feature North America. A visual celebration of discovery and commerce in the New World, America is in the centre of the South Sea, the east coast of Australia, north to the Moluccas and Japan is on the left and the west coast of Africa and north to Europe, on the right.
Printed on four large sheets, it can be regarded as a gigantic pictorial encyclopaedia of the Western Hemisphere, with new and useful reports on its ports, islands, and the principle countries of both North and South America and with the names and routes of the explorers who made significant discoveries. A visual celebration of discovery and commerce in the New World, it is elaborately embellished with engraved vignettes depicting notable locations (Niagara Falls with beavers..), peoples (Indians, medallion portraits of explorers, mission stations..), customs (Aztec temple and rituals..), and general activities (hunting, fishing..). ]
Similar to a number of other French and Italian cartographers, Chatelain depicted hypothetical positions of coastlines and land masses, which sometimes appear to be placed for balance of the overall image of a map, rather than to chart the accuracy of position. The Solomon Islands are relocated to the center of a blank part of the Pacific Ocean, somewhat to the east of their actual position; and as is common with many maps of America published at this time, California is shown as a large island off the west coast. Despite this, Chatelain's charts are among the grandest and most impressive ever published.

Gilles Robert de VAUGONDY (1688-1766)
Didier Robert de VAUGONDY (circa 1723-1786)

Gilles, the father, is sometimes known as Le Sieur or Monsieur Robert. Descended from the Nicolas Sanson family through Sanson's grandson, Pierre Moulard-Sanson, Gilles Robert de Vaugondy inherited much of Sanson's cartographic material, which he and his son combined with the maps and plates acquired after Hubert Jaillot's death in 1712. The Jaillot-Sanson maps were incorporated with much revision into a beautiful large atlas "Atlas Universel", published in 1757-8. Until Robert de Vaugondy bought them, the Jaillot-Sanson plates were rarely corrected because of the costs involved. The work of Guillaume Delisle forced all cartographers to reconsider.
Gilles and Didier together published "Atlas Portatif" in 1748-9, "Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes" with maps of the Pacific Ocean in conjunction with Charles de Brosses in 1756, and "Nouvel Atlas Portatif" in 1762, reissued 1773-1813.
Didier published "Parte de l'Amerique septentrional" in 1761.
Their finest work "Atlas Universel", reissued in 1783 and 1793, whilst not noteworthy for its scientific accuracy, was outstanding for the beauty of its black and white cartouches.
Charles Francois Delamarche (1740-1817) succeeded the Robert de Vaugondy family and republished many of their maps.

John MITCHELL (1711-1768)

Born in Virginia, North America, Mitchell studied medicine in Edinburgh. He became a physician, chemist, biologist, botanist and surveyor of considerable note. In 1746, ill health resulted in his returning to England, where in 1755 he compiled a map of the Colonies in eight sheets. Between 1575 and 1591 twenty-one editions were published of his "Map of the British and French Dominions in North America with Roads, Distances, Limits and Extent of Settlements".
Extremely influential, this map was not only used in the Treaty of Paris peace negotiations between Britain and the American colonies in 1782-3, but it was also used to settle territorial disputes between Canada and the United States. It has been called the most important map in the history of the United States.
Needless to say, Mitchell's map was of enormous influence on subsequent cartographers. It appears to be the only map John Mitchell ever produced.

Jean Baptiste Bourguinon d'ANVILLE (1697-1782)

D'Anville was one of the most revered of French geographers. Being absorbed by ancient geography, at the age of fifteen he published his first map, a representation of ancient Greece. In Paris, around 1750 he received international acclaim for his elegantly engraved accurate large-scaled maps of the continents, and for and his atlas on China "Nouvel Atlas de la Chine" published in The Hague in 1737. The maps on China, by d'Anville for J.B.de Halde's "Description geographique de la Chine were compiled from the surveys done by Jesuit missionaries between 1708 and 1716". Many of these maps on China were the best available for over a century.
Although he never travelled beyond Paris, d'Anville amassed a vast collection of up-to-date cartographic material that Louis XVI acquired from him in 1779, and subsequently passed to the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. D'Anville was well respected for his meticulous dedication to accuracy in his maps, by assiduous research and by rejecting anything he could not verify - in contrast to the theorist habits of many earlier French cartographers.
In 1740 d'Anville published a collection of maps "Atlas Generale", which he updated, expanded, and reissued in several languages over several years. English editions of his maps were published by Robert Sayer, Laurie and Whittle and others for over fifty years.

Jacques Nicolas BELLIN (1703-1772)

An extremely industrious French cartographer, Bellin worked at the Depot de la Marine in Paris for over fifty years, becoming Hydrographer to the King (Louis XIV), Censeur Royal de l'Academie de Marine, and a member of the Royal Society of London.
In his first published maps for Prevost's "L'Histoire Generale des Voyages" and "Atlas Maritime" Bellin followed the tendency of a number of French and Italian cartographers in combining creativity with factual discovery. The most notable inaccuracy was in adding a hypothetical East Coast to Australia. Bellin connected New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania, with the remark: "I suppose that the land of Diemen can join with the land of the Holy Ghost" (Espiritu Santu, which later was named New Hebrides), " but this is without proof". A year or two later, he published another version of the map, with a gap at the western entrance to what we now know as the Torres Straits, and a dotted line at the east.
The compilation of a complete survey of the coast of France, the "Neptune Francois", upon the orders of Monsieur Sauveur of the Academie des Sciences, only reached fruition in 1753 when corrected and augmented by Bellin. Commissioned to map all the known coasts of the world, Bellin produced a very large number of high quality charts between 1756 and 1765 for Hydrographie Francaise which were reissued in many differing editions until 1802.

Emanuel BOWEN (fl.1714-1767)
Thomas BOWEN (fl. 1767-1790)

A map and print seller, Emanuel Bowen was engraver to George II of England and also to Louis XV of France. Working in London from around 1714 to 1767, he engraved for magazines, books and other publications in addition to his own projects. His maps are among the most accurate and the most attractive of the eighteenth century.
Bowen's Maps of the Continents were published circa 1714. In 1720, in conjunction with John Owen, Bowen issued a book of road maps "Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improved". Based on the maps of John Ogilby, as most road maps were at that time, Bowen rendered them more elaborately with his own style of historical and heraldic detail.
Bowen published "A Compleat System of Geography" between 1744 and 1747, a "Complete Atlas of the Known World" in 1752, and a "Universal History of the World" circa 1763. He also engraved the maps for Harris's "Complete Collection of Voyages" published in 1748, and the delightful maps for the tiny "Atlas Minimus" (with John Gibson) in 1758 (re-issued in 1774). "The Royal English Atlas" published with Thomas Kitchen in 1762, 1778 and 1780, was re-issued as "The English Atlas" between 1794 and 1828. Around 1763, Benjamin Martin published Bowen's engravings for "The Natural History of England". Bowen's maps for "The Large English Atlas" published with Thomas Kitchen between 1755 and 1760, were once again noted for the fascinating historical and topographical legends he inserted in the blank areas of his maps. Re-issued with further enlargements up until 1787, they were also among the largest maps of the Counties to have been published at that date.
Joining his father who was becoming progressively blind, Thomas published "Atlas Anglicanus" with him in 1767, and re-issued it in 1777. Around 1777, Thomas published "The World showing the Discoveries of Captain Cook and other circumnavigators", and around 1784 he engraved the maps for Rapin's "History of England".
It is regrettable that despite his eminent royal status and the prolific output of work by Emanuel, he died in poverty. His son who carried on his business following his death, faired little better, and died in a Clerkenwell workhouse in 1790.

Thomas JEFFERYS (circa 1695-1771)

A well-respected cartographer and publisher, Jefferys was appointed Geographer to the Prince of Wales and to King George III. As is the case with many under royal patronage around the world at that time, Jefferys did not do well financially. During production of his American atlases he was actually bailed out of bankruptcy.
During the period from 1747 to 1779, Jefferys published county maps 1 inch to 1 mile. He reissued Saxton's "An Atlas of England and Wales" as "The Shires of England & Wales" in 1749. Also in 1749, with Thomas Kitchen, he published a quarto-size "Small English Atlas" which was reissued over a period of nearly forty years, finally in 1787 as "An English Atlas or Concise View of England and Wales". His fine maps of North America and the West Indies are considered to be his most important achievement, even though many were published posthumously. His "American Atlas" published by Sayer and Bennett in 1775 presented large-scale maps of the thirteen states of the original Declaration of Independence, together with Florida, the Mississippi, Canada and South America. William Faden who acquired his business following Jefferys' death, reissued many of Jefferys maps, as did Laurie and Whittle from 1799 through to 1807.

Thomas KITCHEN (1718-1784)

Kitchin was a prolific mapmaker, fine engraver, author, publisher, and artists' materials supplier. His premises were at The Star on London's Holborn Hill, where he worked for many years in conjunction with Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Jefferys. He produced a wide range of books on many subjects including topographical works, as well as his numerous atlases. From 1747 to 1760 Kitchen engraved maps for "The London Magazine". His scientifically based maps for Thomas Jefferys' "Small English Atlas" were published in 1749, and reissued over many years.
From 1755 to 1760, in association with Emanuel Bowen, Kitchin produced "The Large English Atlas" which was the finest county atlas produced during the eighteenth century. Initially it comprised forty-five maps clearly engraved in great detail with inset plans, views and numerous panels of text describing the commerce and attributes of the areas shown. It was reissued in 1778 and 1790, and from 1794 to 1828 was reissued as "The English Atlas". The precise surveying techniques and large-scale mapping used in the publication of these atlases provided the foundation for the Ordnance Survey undertaken between 1829 and 1858.
During this time Kitchen published county maps in "England Illustrated" in 1764, for which he is probably best known. His "A General Atlas" was first published in 1768 and then reissued between 1773 and 1810 by Sayer and Bennett, and Laurie and Whittle. "Kitchen's Pocket Atlas" (octavo-size) was published in 1769, and "Kitchen's English Atlas" (quarto-size) in 1770. With Henry Boswell, his "Antiquities of England and Wales" were published after his death in 1786, and "A New Universal Atlas" in conjunction with Laurie and Whittle, was published around 1789 and reissued in 1796 and 1799.

William FADEN (1750-1836)

Faden was one of the most successful English mapmakers of his time. He joined Thomas Jefferys as an engraver and cartographer, and continued the business after Thomas Jefferys' death, trading under the name of Faden and Jefferys. Issuing maps of excellent quality, he also became Geographer to King George III and to the Prince of Wales.
Working from St Martin's Lane in Charing Cross, Faden was particularly interested in the mapping of North America, for which he became as well known as his Jefferys. In 1810, the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Faden was one of the first cartographers to revert to the ancient title "Australia Incognita" and name the whole continent Australia.
As well as over 350 publications, globes, charts, plans, maps ad atlases which he listed in his catalogue of 1822, he also undertook to produce many large-scale and regional maps of Great Britain for individual customers.
William Faden produced the first of Britain's Ordnance Survey maps (of Kent) in 1801. James Wyld reissued many of Faden's maps after taking over his business in 1823.

Rigobert BONNE (1727 - 1794)

Born in the village of Raucourt in the Ardennes, Bonne was a well-respected hydrographical engineer and was appointed Royal Hydrographer in Paris. He compiled charts of the coasts of France, and his folio size "Atlas Maritime" was published in 1762 and re-issued in octavo size in 1778. "Petit Tableau de France" was published in 1764. Bonne published a number of atlases and maps, and provided maps for all parts of the known world for Guillaume Raynal's noteworthy "Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre" published in 1780. With Nicolas Desmaret he published "Atlas de geographie ancienne" in 1783, and the "Atlas encyclopedique" in 1787-88, re-issued long after his death, in 1827. "Atlas encyclopedique" is the best-known printed summary of all of Cook's maps pertaining to the relatively recent discovery of Australia.

Captain James COOK, British Navigator and Explorer. (1729 - 1779)

James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in Marton, (near modern Middlesborough) in Yorkshire, Britain. He commanded three voyages of discovery and sailed two-and-a-half times around the world. Captain Cook's voyages led to the establishment of colonies throughout the Pacific by several European countries. He is considered one of the world's greatest explorers and the greatest British navigator.

Cook was apprenticed to a shipping company at age 18, and joined the British Navy at 27 years of age in 1755. During the war with the French in 1755, James Cook enlisted as an Able Seaman on the "Eagle". Within a month he was promoted, because of outstanding ability, to Master's Mate. Four years later at the age of 31 he was promoted to Master. In command of his own ship, James Cook performed a crucial charting of the St. Lawrence River, which made possible the great amphibious assault upon Quebec City in 1759. In 1763 he was given command of the schooner "Grenville" and surveyed the eastern coasts of Canada over a four year period. These excellent charts were used up until the early part of the twentieth century.

1st VOYAGE
James Cook was selected to lead a 1768 expedition to observe the transit of Venus, and to explore new lands in the Pacific Ocean. The expedition included artists, botanists, and scientists. In this, his first Pacific voyage, James Cook rounded Cape Horn in the "Endeavour" and reached Tahiti on 3 June 1769. After recovering a necessary scientific instrument stolen by the natives, the transit of Venus was successfully observed. Tahiti was the primary destination of Cook's first voyage, and as a result of the wonderful detailed account of Cook's visit there, Tahiti became for many years the preferred rest and recreation destination for eighteenth century sailors in the Pacific. It achieved almost cult status in Europe during the following century as the home of pure and untainted Pacific Islanders. This was due in no small part to the idealized images of Tahitian life depicted by Cook's artists during their visit.
After leaving Tahiti, or the Society Islands as they were then known, Cook spent six months charting New Zealand, then went on to explored and claim possession of eastern Australia. Cook returned to England on 12 June 1771, via New Guinea, Java and the Cape of Good Hope, during which voyage the crew suffered an appalling 43% fatality rate. As a result, James Cook was very concerned about crew health on subsequent voyages, and instituted compulsory dietary reforms that were embraced by the world's navies.

2nd VOYAGE
The object of Captain Cook's second Pacific Ocean voyage was to confirm the existence of a theorized Great Southern Continent. His ship the "Resolution", accompanied by the "Adventure", departed Plymouth on July 13, 1772 and sailed around the Cape of Good Hope once again. Beset by ice this time, he was unable to reach Antarctica. Although its existence was suspected, James Cook demonstrated, by traversing large areas of the south Pacific, that it would have to be a frozen wasteland, and not an economically productive addition to the British empire. During this voyage, aided by a new chronometer, Cook charted many of the South Pacific islands with an incredible accuracy of within three miles. The two ships returned to England, via Cape Horn, on July 29, 1775. The experimental diets and close attention to cleanliness had a salutary effect: out of a crew of 118, only one man was lost to disease! As public interest was high, the many paintings by the artists on the voyage were widely displayed and published as engravings. James Cook was also awarded the Copley Gold Medal and elected as a fellow of the Royal Society.

3rd VOYAGE
In July of 1776 Captain Cook set sail on his third voyage, again in the "Resolution". His mission was to look for a possible northern sea route between Europe and Asia. In 1778 he became the first known European to reach the Hawaiian Islands, then known as the Sandwich Islands. Later in 1778 Cook sailed up the northwest coast of North America, and was the first European to land on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He continued up the coast through the Bering Strait, and entered the Arctic Ocean. Great walls of ice blocked the Expedition, so Cook headed back for the Hawaiian Islands. On February 14, 1779 Cook was killed by Hawaiian natives during an altercation while investigating the theft of a boat by an islander. The expedition arrived back in England in October of 1780.

The copperplate engravings from Cook's original charts and drawings are today a historically important legacy from a legendary Pacific explorer. Captain James Cook made many important contributions to science: perhaps the most famous was his discovery that ascorbic acid prevented scurvy. He made a gigantic contribution to the mapping of the world by his discovery of Hawai'i, Christmas Island, New Caledonia, Cook Islands, Gilbert Islands, part of the Tuamotus, Fiji, and the Tongan Islands. He rediscovered the Marquesas, the Solomon Islands, and Easter Island; and he proved that New Zealand was not part of a great southern continent, but consisted of two major islands; and that a great landmass comprising the suspected southern continent did not exist.
All of Cooks official engravings commissioned by the British Admiralty from his epic three voyages were engraved on copper plates printed on high quality 100% acid free rag paper.

Antonio ZATTA (fl. 1737-1797)

A Venetian cartographer, printer, publisher and bookseller, Antonio Zatta published atlases which included maps of groups of English, Scottish and Irish counties. His maps showing the Pacific included the new discoveries of 'Giacomo' Cook (better known as Captain Cook) from the Society Islands to New Zealand, and finally up the east coast of Australia. His "Atlante Novissimo" with four volumes containing 218 maps was published in Venice between 1774 and 1785. He published "Nuovo atlante" circa 1799.
One of the better known of the Italian map publishers of the late eighteenth century, Zatta's maps are easily identified by the primitive and relatively modern tones of pinks, greens and yellows in their colouring. He published a large number of maps of considerable aesthetic and scientific merit.

Robert (Jean?) JANVIER (fl. 1746-1776)

A French cartographer who worked in Paris, his maps usually bore the inscription "Le Sieur Janvier". In collaboration with other cartographers and publishers Janvier produced a considerable number of maps. Janvier's maps were published under his name by Jean Lattre in Bordeaux and Charles Francois Delamarche in Paris, and in atlases by William Faden in London, and P. Santini in Venice.

John CARY (circa 1754-1835)

John Cary began as an engraver in the 1770's. Perhaps best known today as one of the best cartographers of county maps of England, he published "Actual Survey of the country fifteen miles round London" in 1786, "New and Correct English Atlas" in 1787 with many reissues, and engraved "Britannia" in 1789, also reissued in 1806.
Using the latest accurate geographical information, he produced a large number of finely engraved and lettered maps, not only of British counties, but also world atlases, road maps, town and canal plans, sea charts, and terrestrial and celestial globes.
George Frederick Cruchley (fl. 1822-1875) took over Cary's business and continued to use Cary's engraved copperplates throughout his life.

Robert LAURIE (circa 1755-1836)
James WHITTLE (circa 1757-1818)
Richard Holmes LAURIE (? - 1858)

Robert Laurie gained a fine reputation as both publisher and engraver. He invented a method of printing mezzotint engravings in colour, which provided an incomparable finish to his grand maps. Robert Sayer published most of his prints, until Laurie joined partnership with James Whittle in 1794 and acquired Sayer's business.
Laurie and Whittle published a large number of Land and Marine atlases, and styled themselves Chart-Sellers to the Admiralty. Their maps were well respected for the quality of the scientific accuracy of their maps, as well as for their grand presentation.
Robert Laurie retired in 1812.Whittle was joined by Robert's son, Richard Holmes, and continued to publish under the name of Whittle and Laurie until Whittle died in 1818. Richard Holmes Laurie continued the business and the firm subsequently merged with the eminent mathematician and hydrographer John Norie and became Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd., continuing in operation until around 1903.

John William NORIE (1772-1843)

Norie, the son of a minister, studied mathematics and became a Teacher on Navigation. Eventually he set up as a chart seller at the Navigation Warehouse and Naval Academy in Leadenhall Street. His "Nautical Tables" were published by William Heather in 1803. Nine years later Norie took over the business of William Heather, publishing naval books and dealing in maps and sea charts. He further strengthened his position in 1819 when he acquired the business of J. Steel. Norie became the most celebrated mathematician and hydrographer of his day.
Apart from revisions of his earlier charts, Norie compiled many books on navigation. Many of these works, particularly his "Epitome of Practical Navigation" published in 1805, became standard works and were reissued many times. His published many practical Pilot books including the "Complete East India Pilot" in 1816, which was reissued many times.
The publishing firm traded under the name of Norie and Wilson, although Norie retired in 1839. Preserving Norie's name Charles Wilson maintained the business until the turn of the century. From 1845 to 1880 English hydrographer J.S. Hobbs worked for Wilson.

Louis Claude Desaules de FREYCINET (1779-1842)

Pierre LAPIE (1777-1851)
Alexandre Emile LAPIE (fl. 1809-1850)

From around 1820 Pierre Lapie was First Geographer to the King of France, Chief of the Topographic Section of the War Office, military cartographer, and publisher. In 1829, with Alexandre Emile, Pierre issued "Atlas Universel de Geographie ancienne et moderne". It was reissued in 1837, 1841 and later.

Thomas MOULE (1784-1851)

Born in London, Moule was a writer on heraldry and antiquities. He conducted business as a bookseller in Duke Street, Grosvenor Square from about 1816 until 1823, when he became Inspector of "blind" letter in the General Post Office. His principal duties entailed the deciphering of otherwise illegible addresses. For many years he was also Chamber-keeper in the Lord Chamberlain's Department which entitled him to an official residence in the Stable Yard of St James's Palace.
The intricately decorated maps published by Moule in 1836 for "The English Counties Delineated" skillfully combined cartography with informative decoration. They usually incorporated a Coat of Arms with the cartouche and one or more vignettes, and are commonly regarded as "the last decorative county maps".

James WYLD (the elder) (1790-1836)
James WYLD (the younger) (1812-1887)

James Wyld the elder described himself in 1823 as Successor to Mr. Faden, Geographer to His Majesty and to H.R.H. the Duke of York, giving his address as Charing Cross. He had taken over Faden's business and stock in 1823. James Wyld the elder was appointed Geographer Royal, which he remained until 1838 when he died (some say from overwork). He was also a founder member of the Royal Geographical Society. He worked in the Quarter Master General's Office and had access to official archives both at home and abroad, giving his maps a high level of accuracy, and reflecting the British military involvement overseas, and her interest in the colonies at that time. Wyld published a large number of atlases and maps, including reissues of Faden's.
Around 1819 until 1825 James Wyld the elder produced "A General Atlas" and introduced lithographic map printing into England. In 1820 he published "Settlements in New South Wales" (Australia) using the lithographic process, and "Map of North America" around 1824, which he then revised and reissued up to around 1856.
His "Map of Australia" published in 1837 was compiled from the latest nautical surveys, and his "Chart of New Zealand" was published in 1840.
James Wyld the younger was educated for the army at Woolwich, but at eighteen years of age, chose to join his father in the map trade. Following his father's death, he was appointed Geographer to the Queen Victoria and H.R.H. Prince Albert. He was Member of Parliament for Bodmin from 1847 to 1852, and again from 1857 to 1868. He was Master of the Clothworkers' Company and worked hard for the introduction of technical schools. Like his father, he was held in high esteem, and held no less than 17 European orders of merit.

Jules Sebastien Cesar Dumont d'URVILLE (1790-1842)

French geographer, navigator, explorer and naturalist, d'Urville made three voyages to Australia and New Zealand between 1822 and 1840. "Voyage de la Corvetter 'Astrolabe'" was published in 1833, "Voyage pittoresque autour du monde" was published in 1834 and "Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l'Oceanie" was published between 1841 and 1854.

Joseph Hutchins COLTON (1800-1893)
George Woolworth COLTON (1827-1901)

The Colton family, one of the earliest map-producing houses based in New York, produced a large number of maps and atlases until the end of the nineteenth century. The most prominent of these were the "Atlas of the World " published in New York in 1855 by J.H. Colton, with maps drawn by George Woolworth Colton and geographical descriptions by Richard Swainson Fisher. Being published simultaneously in London by Trubner and Company, it was reissued in 1856 in conjunction with J. Walters of Baltimore. In 1864 it was issued again with Bacon & Co. Replacing Trubner as London distributors. In 1866 it appeared under the imprint of G.W. and C.B. Colton & Co.
The decorative border signature of this publishing company has ensured that the State maps published in "Atlas of America" by J.H. Colton and Co., New York, also in 1855, have become a popular starting place for collectors.

Victor LEVASSEUR (fl. 1838-1854)
Pierre Emile LEVASSEUR (1828-1911)

Victor Levasseur was a map maker who around 1838 published "Atlas National des Departments et des Possessions de la France" also known as "L'Atlas National Illustre". This popular atlas contained the decorative engravings of Laguillermie from the drawings of Raimond Bonheur. It was reissued in 1847, 1852, 1854 and 1861 by Victor and then by his son who was a geographer and economist.