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Description

Nice example of Hondius' decorative world map, first issued in the 1630 edition of the Mercator-Hondius Atlas, in response to competition from Willem Blaeu.

The basic cartography follows John Speed's world map. Portraits of Ptolemy, Mercator, Hondius and Julius Caeser are included in the richly ornate decorative borders. The map includes an early appearance of Australia's Northern Coastline. . One of the most beautiful world maps of the period.

This is the second of four states of the map, distinguishable by the addition of Jansson's name in the bottom center and the date (1641) in the lower right cartouche.

Reference
Shirley # 336; Schilder, Australia Unveiled, #39.
Henricus Hondius Biography

Henricus Hondius (1597-1651) was a Dutch engraver and mapmaker, a member of a prominent cartographic family. His father, Jodocus Hondius, was also an engraver and geographer. While working with his father, Henricus was instrumental in the expansion and republishing of Mercator’s atlas, first published in 1595 and republished by Hondius in 1606.   

Upon his father’s death in 1612, Henricus and his brother, Jodocus the Younger, took over the business. He set up his own shop in 1621, where he continued to release new editions of the Mercator atlas. Later, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Jan Janssonius, in continuing to expand and publish Mercator’s atlas, which would become known as the Mercator-Hondius-Janssonius atlas. Born and based in Amsterdam, he died there in 1651.