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1597 Cornelis van Wytfliet
$ 1,400.00
Description

Important early map of the Northwestern Atlantic, including Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Labrador, along with a remarkable early depiction of the mythical island of Frisland.

As noted by Kershaw, "Wytfliet draws heavily on the discoveries of Frobisher and Davis, and provides the first detailed printed map of their discoveries. Wytfliet retains the mythical island of Frisland as well as Estotiland, both derived from the apocryphal map published by Nicolo Zeno in 1558. . . Wytfliet places Frisland in a slightly northerly position, so that Frobisher Straight, 'Frobisseri Angvstlae', lies more of less in the correct position in terms of Frobisher's supposed first landfall on Frisland. The nomenclature of West Greenland, Baffin Island, & Labrodor follows the accounts of Davis, and this map provides the most detailed geography of the area that was available. . . The Wytfliet map accordingly is of fundamental significance to Canadian cartography."

While both Frisland and Estotiland appeared on Mercator's 1569 map, this is the first map to focus specifically on these locations. Frisland is remarkably detailed, with eleven settlements clearly marked. Other interesting features include the mysterious R. de Tormenta and "a furious over fall" emptying into the Davis Strait, which is the first indication of Hudson Strait, and is thought to have inspired Hudson in his search for a Northwest Passage at this location.

Condition Description
Minor discoloration in upper left corner.
Reference
Burden #101; Kershaw #40.
Cornelis van Wytfliet Biography

Cornelius de Wytfliet (ca.1550-ca. 1597) was a Flemish cartographer most famous for his Descriptionis Ptolemaicae Augmentum. The work was published in Louvain, Belgium, and had nineteen maps of the Americas.