A New Description of the Shyres Lothian and Linlitquo. Be T. Pont.

Coloured map of Lothian. Printed in Amsterdam by H. Hondius in 1633.

Reference 12817

Description

A beautiful map of the shires of Lothian in Scotland by Henricus Hondius after Timothy Pont. This map offers a splendid and detailed depiction of Lothian, providing a wealth of information about the region's prominent landmarks. It features intricate, miniature sketches of key sites, including the city of Edinburgh, Linlithgow Palace, and Tyningham House, all of which were meticulously drawn based on Timothy Pont's firsthand observations. Moreover, the map highlights several notable geographical features, including Holyrood Park, Arthur's Seat, and the Pentland Hills.

Timothy Pont, a Scottish clergyman, conducted an extensive survey of Scotland between 1595 and 1608, made that country the best mapped in the world. However, it was not until 1654 when Blaeu included these maps as Volume V in his 'Theatrum' that Pont's core work was finally published. Robert Gordon, who revisited and revised these maps for Blaeu, lamented that Pont's ambitious project remained incomplete due to the greed of printers and booksellers, preventing him from seeing it to fruition. Tragically, he passed away prematurely sometime between 1611 and 1614 at the age of 50.

The map depicting the environs of Edinburgh is a remarkable relic of Pont's work. It was the sole map engraved before his untimely demise, thanks to the financial support of the Edinburgh bookseller Andrew Hart. Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam undertook the engraving, just prior to his own death in 1612. Although it's uncertain whether the map was published at the time, it eventually made its debut in the Mercator/Hondius atlas in 1630.

The example presented here belongs to the second state, post-1633, with the names of Jodocus Hondius and Hart removed, replaced by Henricus Hondius excudit. From the 1633 edition of the Hondius-Janssonius Atlas, French text on verso.

Details

Cartographer	Jodocus Hondius
Title	A New Description of the Shyres Lothian and Linlitquo. Be T. Pont.
Publisher, Year	H. Hondius, Amsterdam, 1633
Plate Size	36.7 x 53.8 cm (14.4 x 21.2 inches)
Sheet Size	47.5 x 56.7 cm (18.7 x 22.3 inches)
Reference	Van der Krogt, P.: Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici, 5815:1.2

Condition

Left of the centerfold minimal crease. Very good copy in attractive colors.

Cartographer

Jodocus Hondius was born 1563 in Wakken (West Flanders). He became a globe maker and map engraver. In 1593 he set up his business in Amsterdam after he spent several years in London. He was one of the most important engravers of his time and engraved maps for van den Keere, Waghenaer and Speed. Hondius bought the plates of Mercator in 1604, added around 40 maps and published the expanded Mercator-Atlas first 1606 still under Mercator's name. After his death 1612 in Amsterdam, the business was carried out by his sons Jodocus II and Henricus.

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Jodocus Hondius: A New Description of the Shyres Lothian and Linlitquo. Be T. Pont..

Coloured map of Lothian. Printed in Amsterdam by H. Hondius in 1633.

Scotland - Hondius, Jodocus - A New Description of the Shyres Lothian...