AMERICAS AMERICA NOVITER DELINEATA

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This Americas was emulated by numerous cartographers and went through numerous editions. Originally issued by Jodocus Hondius in 1618 with carte-a-figures borders, it was derived from two earlier maps by Blaeu. The North Pole depicts Frobisher's theory of the Northwest Passage and the South Pole shows the long-held notion of the mythical southern continent. North America retains the peninsular California and the East Coast is beginning to take shape, although it still lacks detail in the mid-Atlantic region. In the Southwest the famous seven cities of Cibola appear on the banks of a large lake. In South America, there is a large inland sea and two engraved scenes, one of which details a cannibalistic feast. Two stylized insets of the two polar regions are enclosed in strapwork cartouches. The map is richly ornamented with a strapwork title cartouche, fleets of ships and sea monsters.

Shortly after Jodocus Hondius' death in 1629 the plated passed into the hands of his brother, Henricus. The borders were removed to facilitate the smaller format of the Atlas Novus that was published in partnership with his brother-in-law, Jan Jansson. This is state 5 with Jansson's imprint below the cartouche. French text on verso

THIS IS AN UNCOLOURED VERSION AS ISSUED AND RARE IN THAT MODERN COLOUR HAS NOT BEEN APPLIED.Very good condition.SOLD

code : M1573

Cartographer : HONDIUS Family

Date : 1618 / 1641 Amsterdam

Size : 38*50cms

availability : Sold

Price : Sold

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Jodocus Hondius I(1563-1612) was one of the foremost map engravers of his day; he worked for many Dutch publishers and was also employed by the English map- and print-sellers, Sudbury and Humble, to engrave the maps for John Speed's "The Theatre Of The Empire Of Great Britaine", published in 1612. Hondius married Coletta van den Keere (sister of Pieter van de Keere - also heavily involved in the map trade) thus strengthening his links with the map world at this time.

Hondius bought the copperplates of Mercator's "Atlas Sive Cosmographicae ..." at the auction of Gerard Jr.'s effects in 1604. He added another forty maps, including new maps of the continents and important regional maps of the Americas, before publishing a new edition of the "Atlas ..." in 1606 that was in direct competition with Ortelius' "Theatrum". As many of Hondius' maps were more up-to-date, the Mercator-Hondius "Atlas ..." effectively superseded Ortelius' "Theatrum".

Jodocus also had the plates of the "Atlas ..." reduced at this time in order to publish them in the "Atlas Minor" that first appeared in 1607. Cornelis Clasz and Johannes Janssonius of Arnhem (the elder Janssonius) were the publishers involved in this 'miniature' endeavour.

Henricus and Jodocus II were sons of Jodocus I. From 1619 the "Atlas ..." was published under the Henricus Hondius imprint. Henricus appears to have been heavily involved in the "Atlas ..." from 1619 until 1633 when his brother-in-law's name and imprint, that of Johannes Janssonius, also started appearing on the "Atlas ..." After 1636 the name of the "Atlas ..." was changed to "Atlas Novus" with Janssonius being responsible, in the main, for its publication.