The First Atlas of the Iberian Peninsula
Rare first state of this early miniature atlas dedicated to the Iberian Peninsula, which was re-issued again in 1635.
The present work was originally published without maps by Merula in 1605, but no edition with maps was issued until 1634.
The text, entirely in Latin, includes scattered references to Spain's New World possessions: for instance see page 317 for a summary of of "the Catholic King's dominions" which mentions Cuba, Jamaica, Florida, New Spain, Peru, "and the eastern part of America as far as the California peninsula... "
The maps in this work are drawn from Petrus Bertius's Tabularum Geographicarum, first published in 1616. This example lacks the city views, which may not have been issued in all examples of the 1634 first edition.
Maps and views in this work (all 2-sheet):
- Europe
- Spain
- Northern coast of Spain
- Navarra
- Catalonia et Aragonia
- Galicia
- Legio
- Castilia Vetus et Nova
- View of palace at Madrid
- Valentia
- Granada et Murcia
- Andaluzia
- Baia de Cadis
- Estremadura
- Portugallia
- Mallorca and Minorca
Rarity
The first state is quite rare on the market. We note only a single example in RBH, which was also lacking the city views. Not in European Americana.
Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was a prominent Dutch geographer and publisher. Born the son of a herring merchant, Blaeu chose not fish but mathematics and astronomy for his focus. He studied with the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, with whom he honed his instrument and globe making skills. Blaeu set up shop in Amsterdam, where he sold instruments and globes, published maps, and edited the works of intellectuals like Descartes and Hugo Grotius. In 1635, he released his atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas novus.
Willem died in 1638. He had two sons, Cornelis (1610-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). Joan trained as a lawyer, but joined his father’s business rather than practice. After his father’s death, the brothers took over their father’s shop and Joan took on his work as hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company. Later in life, Joan would modify and greatly expand his father’s Atlas novus, eventually releasing his masterpiece, the Atlas maior, between 1662 and 1672.