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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.

Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
17 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
50379
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619
Size:
17.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
57948
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1610 circa
Size:
17 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
99961
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1610 circa
Size:
18.25 x 13.75 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
75618
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
18 x 11.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
87971
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1610
Size:
18 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
67355
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
54863
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
16 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
93125
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1620 circa
Size:
16.5 x 12 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
65595
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1698
Size:
16 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
39694se
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1695 circa
Size:
18.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
58557
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1698 circa
Size:
18 x 12.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
58584
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578 (1695)
Size:
18 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
58820
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1595 circa
Size:
17.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
55905
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
50883
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
18 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
47147
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
73478
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
51407
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
98424

Archived

Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1623
Size:
15 x 10 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
33659bp
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1613
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
0195
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1607
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
6300
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
42294
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
24450
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578
Size:
18.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
30868
Place/Date:
Cologne / 1584
Size:
18.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
78293
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578 (1695)
Size:
18 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
19250
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578 (1695)
Size:
18 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
58488
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1578
Size:
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
19251
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
26554
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1620 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
34427ac
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
25962
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1608 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
29379
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1607
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
24425
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1608 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
33614
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1625 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches (not including text)
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
33409gm
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1635
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
35178
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1625 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches (not including text)
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
45038
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1635
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
57724
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1607
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
78211
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1620 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
29061
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619
Size:
17 x 12.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
37553
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
17 x 12.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
24409
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619
Size:
16 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
37235
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
16 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
57911
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1619 circa
Size:
16 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
56178
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1632 circa
Size:
10 x 7.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
71922
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1610 circa
Size:
16.5 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
84281
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
16 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
24177
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1632
Size:
10 x 7.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
72033
Place/Date:
Duisburg / 1564 (20th Century)
Size:
17.5 x 15 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
45057
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
17 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
31427
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1698 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
58653
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
17 x 13 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
31514
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1620
Size:
18 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
22672
Place/Date:
Duisberg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
27343
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1628 circa
Size:
8 x 6 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
60285
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1595 circa
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
72504
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1610 circa
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
57016
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1610 circa
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
57557
Place/Date:
Amsterdam / 1595 circa
Size:
18.5 x 14.5 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
81857
Place/Date:
Cologne / 1584
Size:
18.5 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
75813
Place/Date:
Duisburg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
18687
Place/Date:
Duisburg / 1595
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG
Stock#:
26119
Place/Date:
Duisburg / 1595 circa
Size:
19 x 14 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
46834
Place/Date:
Duisburg / 1595
Size:
19 x 13.5 inches
Condition:
VG+
Stock#:
72649