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COMPOSITE ATLAS PUBLISHED BY VISSCHER WITH SEVERAL RARE MAPS
[VISSCHER, DE WIT, BLAEU, JANSSONIUS, SPECHT, VALCK, ALLARD, MORTIER and SCHENK]. Atlas Minor sive Geographia Compendiosa, qua Orbis Terrarum, per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditur.
Amsterdam, [Widow of] Nicolaas Visscher II, ca. 1706 (maps engraved ca. 1634-1705). Imperial folio (50.5 x 30 cm). Composite atlas, with a letterpress title-page and 74 (of 78) engraved maps (71 double-page and 3 larger folding) all delightfully coloured by a contemporary hand. With maps by Claes Jansz. Visscher, Nicolaas Visscher I & II, Willem Jansz. Blaeu, Joan Blaeu, Johannes Janssonius, Frederick de Wit, Carel Allard, Gerard Valck, Leonard Valck, Petrus Schenk I, Pieter Mortier and Caspar Specht, all specified in a content list written in two hands. Eighteenth-century half calf, sprinkled-paper sides.
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A delightful composite atlas with an attractive selection of maps by prominent Dutch mapmakers from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, some extremely rare. It includes maps by Claas Jansz. Visscher (1587-1652), Nicolaas Visscher I (1618-1679) & II (1649-1702), Willem Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638), Joan Blaeu (1598/99-1673), Johannes Janssonius (1588-1664), Frederik de Wit (1629-1706), Carel Allard (1648-1709), Gerard Valck (1651/52-1726), Leonard Valck (1675-1746), Petrus Schenk I (1660-1711), Pieter Mortier (1661-1711) and Caspar Specht (1654-1710).
The core of the atlas was an Atlas Minor comprising 58 maps (originally numbered 1-8, 11-60), published ca. 1706 by the Widow of Nicolaas Vischer II, with maps by various publishers, some probably printed as early as the 1660s. The title-page bears the imprint "Amstelędami, ex officina Nicolai Visscher" and is more or less that used for several Visscher atlases from ca. 1683 to ca. 1716 (Koeman Vis 11, 17, 19, 22, 24, 27). Koeman gives no details on the contents of Vis 24 (ca. 1705), but the present atlas does not closely resemble the others or Koeman Vis 20 (which does include maps by De Wit and Allard). Half of the maps are by the Visscher family, while Willem Jansz. and Joan Blaeu, Frederick de Wit and Joannes Janssonius are represented by several maps each. The authorship of 4 of the original maps (Hispania Antiqua, Gallia Antique, Anglia Vetus and Zeelandia) is unclear since they have been removed. The owner added 20 more maps, probably soon after purchase since none is dated later than 1704 and half are also by the Visscher family. A manuscript list of these additions appears next to the manuscript alphabetical index to the original maps, but the handwriting differs (the list of additions actually includes 21 maps, but one, "Ducatus Geldriae et Zutphania Comitatus," also appears in the original index). Probably at the same time, the maps were reordered and renumbered.
From a cartographical point of view this world atlas presents a relatively balanced overview of the high geographical standards and decorative quality of what is called the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. Several of the leading characters in this flourishing period, such as Willem Jansz. and Joan Blaeu, Claes Jansz. Visscher, Joannes Janssonius and Frederick de Wit are represented. The makeup follows the classic order, with a world map and four maps of the main continents, Europe, Africa, Asia and America. The atlas opens with the influential 1658 map of the world in two hemispheres by Visscher, followed by his map of Europe and 48 further national and regional maps of European countries. Noteworthy above all are a very early state of Frederick de Wit's "Anglia Regnum in omnes suos ducatus" (Shirley, Printed maps of the British Isles, De Wit 5, state 2), the second known copy of the first state of Carel Allard's overview map of Holland (Blonk, Hollandia Comitatus 68.1), and a beautiful copy of Claes Jansz. Visscher's rare 1651 map of Russia. The third section of the atlas is introduced by Nicolaas Visscher II's map of Asia, followed by 8 further maps. The highlight of this section is a fine copy of Nicolaas Visscher I's 1659 map of the Holy Land. Africa is represented by another 8 maps, almost all from atlases published by Willem Jansz. and Joan Blaeu between 1634 and 1662. The Americas are portrayed in four detailed overview maps, including the map of North and South America by Nicolaas Visscher II and Joannes Janssonius's 1641 map of North America (Burden, no. 245, state 2). The atlas closes with three historical maps of Europe, Asia and Africa by the Dutch historian Nicolaas Blankaart and published by Joannes Janssonius.
Most of the paper is unwatermarked, but the 6 Janssonius maps appear to share a paper stock (with a merchant's mark: possibly a PvL monogram, but unclear) and 5 or 6 of the added maps show a clear PvL monogram (Pieter vander Ley), similar to Heawood 3020 (Amsterdam 1702). With occasional minor tears, mostly on the folds, but generally in very good condition. Binding worn. A beautifully coloured composite atlas published by Visscher, with several very rare maps.
