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Nice hand-colored example of the most influential maps of Africa published at the end of the 16th century.
Mercator's finely engraved map of Africa depicts the continent as it was known in the late 16th century. This map is based on Gerard Mercator's twenty-one sheet wall map of the world, first published in 1569. The atlas version of the map was engraved by Gerard Mecator's grandson Gerard, in 1595, the year after the elder Gerard Mercator's death. This map has a high degree of accuracy especially along the coastline that was unsurpassed by any other 16th-century cartographer. Much of the interior of Africa defers to the traditions of Ptolemy; the Nile river is shown with two lakes and the Mountains of the Moon across southern Africa. Mercator does show European advance into the interior. For example, Mercator shows Portuguese exploration up the Cuama (Zambezi) River into the interior of south-central Africa in the region of Monomotapa or Benamataxa, as he named it on his map. Ca. Portogal (the Portuguese Fort) is placed on the map within the junction of the Spirito and Cuama rivers.
Mercator tried to adhere to a more scientific approach and did not include the numerous beasts of other cartographers. The only figure within Africa is the seated legendary priest-king, Prester John, in Ethiopia. The cartouche is quite decorative with a bounty of fruit and two satyrs. The fine script is superb and the sea has Mercator's signature moire pattern.
Gerard Mercator is one of the most famous cartographers of all time. Mercator was born in Flanders and educated at the Catholic University in Leuven. After his graduation in 1532, Mercator worked with Gemma Frisius, a prominent mathematician, and Gaspar a Myrica, a goldsmith and engraver. Together, these men produced globes and scientific instruments, allowing Mercator to hone his skills.
With his wife, Barbara, Mercator had six children: Arnold, Emerentia, Dorothes, Bartholomeus, Rumold, and Catharina. In 1552, Mercator moved to Duisburg from Leuven, where he lived for the rest of his life. In 1564, he was appointed the official cosmographer to the court of Duke Wilhelm of Cleve.
Mercator’s most important contribution was the creation and popularization of a projection which now bears his name. On Mercator projection maps, all parallels and meridians are drawn at right angles to each other, with the distance between the parallels extending towards the poles. This allowed for accurate latitude and longitude calculation and also allowed navigational routes to be drawn using straight lines, a huge advantage for sailors as this allowed them to plot courses without constant recourse to adjusting compass readings.
Mercator’s other enduring contribution to cartography is the term “atlas”, which was first used to describe his collection of maps gathered in one volume. The Mercator atlas was published in 1595, a year after Mercator’s death, thanks to the work of his sons, particularly Rumold, and his grandsons.
