Antique Maps Leen Helmink Antique map of North Pole / Arctic Minor by Mercator-Hondius Click here or on the image for high resolution photos and scans. MAKER Mercator - Hondius TITLE Polus Arcticus cum vicinis regionibus ATLAS Mercator Hondius Atlas Minor PLACE ISSUED Amsterdam FIRST EDITION 1607 THIS EDITION 1608 SIZE (hxw cms) 13.5 x 18.5 AREA SHOWN Arctic / North Pole ENGRAVER Jodocus Hondius TECHNIQUE Copper engraving VERSO French text PAGE NUMBER 23 SIGNATURE [none] COLOURING original colour SPECIFICS Strong early impression. Very light water stain in lower right. Original colour. Overall an excellent example of this important map from the second issue of this atlas, the 1608 French edition. CONDITION perfect / EXCELLENT / very good / good / acceptable / mediocre / poor REFERENCES Koeman Me 186 map 6, this example Me187 map 6. Burden 154. (Bibliography) BACKGROUND Map of the North Pole regions from the 1608 second edition of Jodocus Hondius' Atlas Minor, a reduction of the 1606 Mercator-Hondius folio map (which is a later state of the 1595 Mercator copperplate). "Shortly after the publication of the big folio-atlases the need was apparantly felt for a smaller-sized atlas, one that would be handier, and, above all, cheaper, so that a larger public might have access to the use of maps. The publication of the 'Atlas Minor' appeared to be a great success for Hondius; the first Latin edition was in great demand. The copperplates of the first atlases minor were most probably made by Hondius himself. After 1621, the copperplates of the 'Atlas Minor' were sold to a London editor. Firstly, they appeared in 'Purchas his Pilgrinies', printed in 1625 by William Stansby for Henry Featherstone. Next they were used for the translation of the Mercator-atlas, printed in small folio under the title 'Historia mundi, or Mercators atlas', by Thomas Cotes for Michael Sparke and Samuel Cartwight in 1635." (Koeman). "As with the 'Theatrum' of Abraham Ortelius, Jodocus Hondius planned a reduced size version of Gerard Mercator's folio atlas. Just one year after his first edition he published his Latin text 'Atlas Minor' in collaboration with Jan Jansz. and Cormelis Claesz. The arrangement between these three is not understood clearly but Hondius is believed to have been the owner of the copperplates. Cartographically this is taken directly from the folio maps by Hondius in 1606 [..] with the inevitable loss of detail due to the reduction. The initial 'S' in the lower right [of the America map] probably represents the unidentified engraver." (Burden 153). "This map of the North Pole is a reduced verion of the revised second state of Gerard Mercator's 'SEPTENTRIONALIUM Terrarum' first issued in 1606. There are, however, a couple of noticeable differences. The map itself only extends now to just south of the Arctic Circle and the inset maps at the top of the Faeroes and Frisland have now been reversed." (Burden 154). GUARANTEE We do not sell reproductions. We guarantee that this is a genuine and original antique map that was published on or near the given date. A certificate of authentication is provided on request. Price € 475 Antique Maps Leen Helmink