Atlas Maior
Encyclopedia
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
, conceived by Willem Blaeu
Willem Blaeu
Willem Janszoon Blaeu , also abbreviated to Willem Jansz. Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer, atlas maker and publisher....
of Amsterdam, but compiled by his son Joan Blaeu
Joan Blaeu
Joan Blaeu was a Dutch cartographer.He was born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu.In 1620 he became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635 they published the Atlas Novus in two volumes...
, and completed in 1665. The original work consisted of eleven volumes, in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, containing 594 map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s.
The full title Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas novus refers to the earlier Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius and originally printed on May 20, 1570, in Antwerp, it consisted of a collection of uniform map sheets and sustaining text bound to form a book for which copper printing plates were specifically...
by Ortelius, published in 1570.
Included into Volume 10 of the work, published in 1655, (bound into the physical volume, but with separate page numbering) was Martino Martini
Martino Martini
Martino Martini was an Italian Jesuit missionary, cartographer and historian, mainly working on ancient Imperial China.-Early years:Martini was born in Trento, in the Bishopric of Trent...
's Novus Atlas Sinensis, followed by Jacobus Golius
Jacobus Golius
Jacob Golius , was a Dutch Orientalist and mathematician....
' paper identifying Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
's Cathay
Cathay
Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English. It originates from the word Khitan, the name of a nomadic people who founded the Liao Dynasty which ruled much of Northern China from 907 to 1125, and who had a state of their own centered around today's...
as China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Modern reproductions
A modern reproduction, containing nearly eight hundred pages and weighing 7.0 kilograms is published by TaschenTaschen
Taschen is an art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. It began as Taschen Comics publishing Benedikt's extensive comic collection...
at 200 dollars. The replica was created from the copy currently housed in the Austrian National Library
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library , is the largest library in Austria, with 7.4 million items in its collections. It is located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; since 2005 some of the collections are located in the baroque Palais Mollard-Clary...
at Vienna.
There is also a lower cost ~419 page version (also based on the Taschen
Taschen
Taschen is an art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. It began as Taschen Comics publishing Benedikt's extensive comic collection...
version, with introduction & notes by Peter Van Der Krogt) published by Barnes & Noble for about $20–30.
See also
- History of cartographyHistory of cartographyCartography , or mapmaking, has been an integral part of the human story for a long time, possibly up to 8,000 years...
- cartographyCartographyCartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
- Ancient maps
- Jan JanssoniusJan JanssoniusJohannes Janssonius was a Dutch cartographer who lived and worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century....
External links
- The Regional Archives of Leiden offers a complete digital version of their Atlas Novus
- Bedeutender Atlas als Teilfaksimile neu erschienen
- http://www.nls.uk/pont/bio/blaeu.htmlThe National Library of Scotland'sNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
PONT PROJECT.] This is dedicated to the 17th century Scottish cartographer Timothy PontTimothy PontTimothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
whose work was published in Blaeu'sBlaeuBlaeu is the name of* Willem Janszoon Blaeu or Willem Blaeu, Dutch cartographer not to be confused with Willem Janszoon, a contemporary Dutch explorer* his sons Joan Blaeu and Cornelius Blaeu, cartographers...
Atlas.