Nova et Accurata Poli Arctici et Terrarum Circum Iacentium Descriptio

Old coloured sea chart of the North Pole. Printed in Amsterdam by Johannes Janssonius in 1650.

Reference 11920

Description

Old colored sea chart of the North Pole by J. Janssonius. With Greenland and Canada, Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway and the north coast of Russia. The map shows, the famous Northwest Passage, a connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific in the north of North America, does not exist.

Philip D. Burden in The Mapping of North America about this map:

This map first appeared in the Latin Appendix of 1637 alongside the one it would eventually replace... Loosly based in format on his own Atlas minor plate of 1628, cartographically it draws upon the Hondius, 1636. It did, however, end up being the prototype of many later maps such as Willem Blaeu, c. 1638, and Moses Pitt, 1680.
The unknown north-west coast is conveniently hidden behind a decorative title cartouche. Two foxes, two hunters and a polar bear grace a second cartouche bearing the imprint. One unusual feature of this map is the attempt to show rhumb lines on a polar map...

From the first real sea atlas, known as the Atlas Maritimus. This map comes from the German edition Das Fünffte Theil Des Grossen Atlantis, Welches begreiffet Die Wasser-Welt, Das ist: Eine sehr kunstreiche Abbildung und Beschreibung aller Wasser und Meeren... by Johannes Janssonius (J. Jansson), published as the fifth volume of his Atlas Novus in Amsterdam in 1650.

Details

Cartographer	Johannes Janssonius
Title	Nova et Accurata Poli Arctici et Terrarum Circum Iacentium Descriptio
Publisher, Year	Johannes Janssonius, Amsterdam, 1650
Plate Size	41.3 x 52.8 cm (16.3 x 20.8 inches)
Sheet Size	50.1 x 58.2 cm (19.7 x 22.9 inches)
Reference	Burden, P.D.: The Mapping of North America No. 250 2nd state; Van der Krogt, P.: Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici, 0020:1C

Condition

Small tears in lower centrefold within the wide margin backed. Very good conditions with striking old colours.

Cartographer

Johannes Janssonius also known as Jan Jansson was born 1588 in Arnhem, Netherlands. His father was a bookseller and publisher (Jan Janszoon the Elder). When he married the daughter of the cartographer Jodocus Hondius he also set up a business as book publisher in Amsterdam. His first map was published in 1616. Around 15 years later he set up a partnership with his brother in law Hondius add issued further editions of the Mercator/Hondius atlas. After his death in 1664, his heirs still have published several maps. Many of his plates have been acquired by Pieter Schenk and Gerard Valk.

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Johannes Janssonius: Nova et Accurata Poli Arctici et Terrarum Circum Iacentium Descriptio.

Old coloured sea chart of the North Pole. Printed in Amsterdam by Johannes Janssonius in 1650.

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