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Introduction:

Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (or "Theater of the World") is widely considered to be the first modern atlas, meaning that this was the first published set of uniform maps with supporting text gathered in book form. Previous bound map collections exist, for example the Italian Lafreri atlases, but these were sets of maps selected and bound together on demand. The Theatrum, in contrast, was the best available summary of sixteenth-century cartographic knowledge, covering much of the exploration of the world in the century following the discovery of America. 

The atlas was first published in 1570 in Antwerp. Ortelius’ atlas outperformed later competing atlases from other cartographic luminaries like the De Jode and the Mercator families. The broad appeal of the work is demonstrated by the array of languages in which the atlas appeared: in addition to Latin, the atlas was published with text in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English. Between 1570 and 1612, at least 31 editions of the atlas were published in seven languages. The editions grew over time, with the first edition having 70 maps on 53 sheets, and the 1612 edition having 167.

At the time of its publication, the Theatrum was the most expensive book ever produced. Ortelius created all the maps personally, hand drawing the rough sketches. Those drawings were then interpreted into prints by his engravers Frans Hogenberg, Ambrosius Arsenius, and Ferdinand Arsenius. 

After Ortelius's death in 1598, the copper plates for his atlas passed to his heirs. They, in turn, sold the collection to Jan Baptist Vrients (1522-1612) in 1601. Vrients added new maps and published the atlas until his own death in 1612. Vrients's widow then sold the plates to the Moretus brothers, who were the successors of Christoffel Plantin. Recent research has unearthed examples of the atlas with maps dated to 1640.


Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1608
Size:
19 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
69023
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
19 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
76016
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1618 - 1630 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
80521
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1598
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
78972
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1579
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
85794
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603 circa
Size:
18.5 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
95500
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1609
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
100533
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1606
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
101659

Archived

Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1608 / 1612
Size:
19.5 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
86352
Place/Date:
Amsterdam & Antwerp / 1598
Size:
17 x 11 inches
Condition:
Good
Stock#:
68136
Place/Date:
Amsterdam & Antwerp / 1598
Size:
11 x 17 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
71141
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1608
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
44211
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1579
Size:
17.5 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
49333
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1571
Size:
16.25 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
51673
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1608
Size:
18.8 x 12.1 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
55006
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1574 (with 1584 Addiamentum)
Size:
17.5 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
55263
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1581
Size:
19.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
58000
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603 circa
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
64565
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1581
Size:
19.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
60613mp2
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1598
Size:
18 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
62552
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
63865
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1572
Size:
19.25 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
64135
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603
Size:
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
64282
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
65692
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1573
Size:
19.25 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
67501
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
67668
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1574
Size:
18.5 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
67841
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
68217
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1581
Size:
19.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
74021
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
76036
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
19 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
76025
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1584
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
Fair
Stock#:
75018
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1584
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
83520
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1592
Size:
18 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
78295
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1584
Size:
19.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
78297
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1581
Size:
19.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
84005
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1601
Size:
19 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
84010
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
84007
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1592 circa
Size:
18 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
81985
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1595
Size:
19.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
82043
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603
Size:
18.5 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
86341
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1624
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89835
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1570
Size:
12 x 16 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
87103
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1571
Size:
20 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
92275
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1584 circa
Size:
19.5 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
87922
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603
Size:
18 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
87932
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1603
Size:
19 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
87937
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1575
Size:
17.5 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
89566
Place/Date:
Antwerp / 1584
Size:
19 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
92342