Featured Maps
East Africa. Land of Sunshine
1949
This lively map of East Africa, includes modern day Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Uganda. Centered on the Rift Valley, which is colored in a darker green, the map covers from Lake Tanganyika to the Indian Ocean and from the Sudan/Ethiopia border to...
Leo Belgicus, one of only two known examples by Jacob van Doetecum
1630
Extremely rare, one of only two known examples of this separately published map, first published by Johan van Doetecum in 1598. The plate was still in van Doetecum's possession in 1626, when an inventory was made of his stock after the death of his wife Magd...
The first map dedicated to Australia in English
1744-1748
Tasman’s map of New Holland was first published in Melchisedech Thevenot’s 'Relations de divers voyages curieux' in 1663 and then revised until 1696. “Thevenot ensured that his book included maps at every juncture. Of t...
Untitled Map of the World
1504
Probably an intermediate state of Reisch's unusual world map. He published his first world map in his ‘Margarita Philosophica’ of 1503. This map is a reduced version, with four rather than twelve windheads, published in Gruninger...
World Map on Silk
1668
World map on silk, Frederick de Wit, Amsterdam, 1668 (ca. 1700) Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula. In an untitled atlas printed entirely on silk, comprising 150 engraved maps and charts. Copperplate engraving, and etching. Holland dom...
Sea Chart of Europe
1621
Sea chart of Europe, Willem Blaeu, ca. 1621 Paskaarte Vertonende alle de Zekusten van Europa. Nieulvez aldus uytgegeven… Separate publication. Copperplate engraving.Oriented with west at the top, this chart covers the area from the northern c...
Le Grand Atlas
1663
A magnificent example of “the greatest and finest atlas ever published” (Verwey).The ‘Atlas Major’ in its various editions was the largest atlas ever published. It was justly famed for its production values, its high typo...
Belgiae Descriptio
1593
A very scarce example of Jodocus Hondius’ roundel Leo Belgicus. It is one of a set of five roundel maps Hondius produced while in London in 1590 (“Jodocus Hondius fecit 1590” is visible next to the lion’s left forepaw). H...
The New World
1545
The New World, Pedro de Medina, 1545 Nuevo Mundo, from Arte de Navigar, Valladolid, 1545. Woodcut.Pedro de Medina’s map is one of the few early printed works composed by someone who had actually been to America, having sailed there with He...
Blaeu's First Atlas of the World
1631
Blaeu’s first world atlas, produced from plates acquired from Jodocus Hondius II, a family member of the rival firm of Jaonnes Janssonius and Henricus Hondius.First published the previous year in 1630, this is the second issue of the 1631 edition,...
