The Blaeu's

The finest Dutch map publishers were the Blaeu family, and they hold the title of mapmakers supreme for any period of cartographical history. Willlem Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638) was the founder of the Blaeu publishing house and established the fine reputation of Blaeu maps. Originally specializing in sea charts and pilot guides, he published his first atlas, "Atlas Appendix" in 1630. In 1634 he published the first edition of a new world atlas. On his death he was succeeded by his son Joan (1596-1673). Joan produced a number of fine town books of the Netherlands and Italy, works without parallel, but more importantly, he enlarged and updated the world atlas into the 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum' series published between 1634 and 1658, which was itself expanded to form the magnificent 'Atlas Major', published from 1658 to 1672 in five languages, generally regarded as the highlight of all time cartographic publishing. The 'Atlas Major', often found in the loveliest contemporary colour, finally incorporated over 650 of the most up to date and finely engraved maps available.

Blaeu maps are renowned for the consummate care and attention apparent in every stage of production - using only the best paper with finely engraved plates and a high standard of printing.

Herman Moll

Herman Moll was a Dutch engraver, geographer & bookseller who settled in England in the year 1678.  He worked as an engraver for Moses Pitt, Greenville Collins, John Adair, and Seller & Price.  He started selling maps in Valleys Court, Blackfriars & London but later settled in Devereux Court, The Strand, London.  

Click here to see a map by Herman Moll

Pierre Mortier (1661-1711)

At the end of the seventeenth century, Dutch map production has settled into a repetitive and derivative rut, reissuing and copying earlier and outdated maps. Pierre Mortier (1661-1711) realized that Dutch cartography needed a new innovative impetus. As a result, he went into partnership with Alexis Hubert Jaillot, published copies of Jaillot maps from 1692 - the finest and most up-to-date maps available, in Holland, and this proved a considerable boost to the Dutch map trade. Following his death in 1711, the business was continued by his widow, and brother David. From 1721, the business was taken over by Pierre's son Corneille and Jean Covens, the partnership being known as Covens and Mortier, a firm which continued until 1866.

Ortelius (1528-1598)

Following the death of his father, Abraham Ortelius and his sisters became map illuminators or colourists; indeed, Ortelius dabbled in buying and selling general antiques. From 1558 onwards, he is recorded as purchasing multiple copies of maps in order to colour them, but he also began building up a large personal collection. In about 1560, possibly as a result of his friendship with Mercator, Ortelius began to produce maps--an eight sheet World Map being the earliest. At this time, Ortelius began preparing his greatest project, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Having already become probably the greatest cartographic bibliographer of the period, Ortelius was able to prepare 53 map sheets based on the most up-to-date information, which were engraved by Frans Hogenberg and first published in 1570. The atlas achieved instant fame as "the world's first regularly produced atlas" (Skelton), being the first atlas with maps prepared to a uniform format, and also immediate commercial success, being reprinted four times in 1570. The atlas was frequently reprinted, with many of the maps re-engraved and up-dated, and new maps added so that later editions contained up to 163 map sheets. The maps themselves are finely engraved and often very decorative.

John Speed (1552-1629)

John Speed is arguably the most famous cartographer of any period, as a result of his atlas The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, the first atlas of the British Isles. The individual maps are the best known and among the most sought-after of all county maps. The maps themselves were derived from the best and most up-to-date sources available; however, Speed did make innovations- introducing town plans on many of his maps, he included county boundaries on almost all maps, also the coats of arms of local Earls and Dukes and the Royal arms. The overall effect is to produce very decorative, attractive and informative maps.

Speed also produced the first world atlas by an Englishman, entitled The Prospect of the most Famous Parts of the World (1627). The maps are famous for their bordering panels of national characters in local costume and panoramic views depicting the areas major towns and cities. In addition to the obvious decorative quality of the maps, regular atlas copies have two pages of English text printed on the reverse, giving a charming description of life in the early seventeenth century of the area shown.

Gilles and Didier Robert De Vaugondy

Gilles and Didier Robert De Vaugondy were father and son, respectively, and produced their atlas, globes and maps in concert. In many cases they did not use the initials of their first names when signing their maps, so it can be unclear at times who made a given map. On some maps fils or filio follows the name, designating its author as the son. In other instances, the authorship can be determinated by the distinctive way each signed his maps: the father normally used "M.Robert," leaving off the last name, and the son, "Robert de Vaugondy." The Atlas Universel [Paris, 1757] was one of the most important 18th century atlases and one of the great achievements of the French Enlightenment. 

The Vaugondys employed strict standards for including maps in this atlas and in many cases subjected them to astronomically derived readings for latitude and longitude. Moreover, 'their frequent use of eighteenthcentury sources, often from the 1740s, provided their atlas with up-to-date information. While their preference was for maps that bad been surveyed in the field and maps published in the region itself, they did not hesitate to turn to older sources when more recent maps were found to be lacking." (Pedley, p. 61) For their maps of Canada and South America, the Vaugondys had access to sources held by the Depot de la Marine, the official French repository for maritime-related information. Like Ortelius and Mercator before them, the Vaugondys listed the sources of their maps, which is of incalculable benefit to anyone seeking to understand not only their maps but those of the period.

"A feature of the maps of the Atlas Universel which attracted unanimous praise from critics was the cartouches." (Pedley, p. 64) A number of artisans worked on their design and engraving; several cartouches were engraved and signed by the Haussard sisters. Among the most pictorial cartouches are the four found on maps showing the postal routes of Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. They depict postal carriers en route in richly detailed settings.

Gilles and Didier Robert De Vaugondy were father and son, respectively, and produced this atlas and others in concert. In many cases they did not use the initials of their first names when signing their maps, so it can be unclear at times who made a given map. On some maps fils or filto follows the name, designating its author as the son. In other instances, the authorship can be determined by the distinctive way each signed his maps: the father normally used "M. Robert," leaving off the last name, and the son, "Robert de Vaugondy.' (Pedley, p. 1 1).

All essays written by Renato Cachina.