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Description

Jan-Hendrki Van Kinsbergen's map is the first printed map of the Crimea, following its annexation by Russia.

The first edition of Van Kinsbergen's map appeared in 1776. The map is based on observations made by Van Kinsbergen and the Russian Navy, shortly after the conclusion of the Russian-Turkish War, and includes a remarkable amount of topographical detail. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, and again in 1783 in connection with the annexation of the Crimea, an intensive effort to map the Black Sea was conducted by the Russian Navy. Among the earliest maps to derive from this work is Jan-Hendrik Van Kinsbergen's map of the Crimea, first published in 1776.

Captain Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen (1735-1819) was a Dutch officer invited by Catherine II to serve in the Russian Navy. During her service from 1770-75, he fought the Turks, becoming known as the "Hero of the Black Sea," as a result of his important victory in 1773 against a much larger Turkish force. During this war, Russia took the Crimea, and one of the duties of Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen, as laid out by Peter the Great, founder of the Russian Navy, was making charts of the newly conquered land. During this time, he produced a number of maps which were later published from Russian sources, of which this 4-sheet map is perhaps the best known and most important. Van Kinsbergen's superlative map of Crimea is a work whose quality far exceeded the expectations of his mandate as Captain for the Russian Navy.

An uncolored example of the map is part of the collection British politician Lord William Wyndham Grenville (1759-1834) at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich (London, England). During his career, Grenville accumulated a comprehensive collection of maps and sea charts. These include printed maps by British and foreign cartographers and also manuscripts, many drawn by military surveyors and some by spies.

Condition Description
4 sheet map on thick paper. A few repaired fold splits, but generally very good condition.
Reference
Tooley Dictionary of Map Makers : K-P, p.31