Antique Maps by Willem Janszoon Blaeu (*1571 - †1638)

Willem Janszoon Blaeu was born 1571 in Alkmaar. He was trained from 1594 to 1596 by the famous danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. 1599 he went to Amsterdam and founded a business as globe maker. Later he started producing map and sea charts, including his first world map in 1605. In 1633 he was appointed Hydrographer for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). His most famous work was the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum sive Atlas Novus of 1635, which was published until 1655 in total six volumes. After Blaeu's death in 1638 his sons Joan and Cornelis continued the business and finished the Atlas Novus and started an even larger work, the Atlas Maior, which reached 12 volumes. In 1672 a fire destroyed the printing house and most of the printing plates. Joan Blaeu died the following year, leaving the business to his three sons Willem (1635-1701), Pieter (1637-1706) and Joan II (1650-1712). While the business began to decline in the hands of his sons, the dominance of the Blaeu publishing house finally ended in 1703 when the V.O.C. stopped publishing maps bearing the Blaeu family name. Some of the surviving plates were bought by F. de Wit and Schenk & Valk.

Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Lacus Lemanni Locorumque Circumiacentium Accuratissima Descriptio. Auctore Iacobo Goulartio...
Willem Janszoon Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1635
Beautiful original old coloured map of the Lake Geneva after J. Goulart from from an early edition of Blaeu's Atlas Appendix . The map is oriented to the North, second state, with filled-in...
Lacus Lemanni Locorumque Circumiacentium Accuratissima Descriptio....
1635 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11063
Old coloured map of the Lake Geneva. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem Janszoon Blaeu in 1635.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum Terris Adiacentibus
J. Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1635 (1662)
W. Blaeu's coastal chart of the West IndiesHand-coloured engraved sea chart of the West Indies by W. Blaeu. With the East Coast of the Americas from Chesapeake Bay to the Orinoco. First...
Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum Terris Adiacentibus
1635 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11447
Coloured sea chart of Florida, West Indies. Printed in Amsterdam by J. Blaeu in 1662.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Stato della Chiesa con la Toscana
Willem and Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1635
Old coloured map of central Italy with Tuscany by Willem Blaeu. Decorated with two cartouches, two compass roses and sailing ships. From the first Latin edition of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum...
Stato della Chiesa con la Toscana
1635 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12439
Old coloured map of Italy. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem and Joan Blaeu in 1635.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Rhenus Fluviorum Europae Celeberrimus, cum Mosa, Mosella, et Reliquis, in illum se Exonerantibus,...
Willem & Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1635
Monumental, old coloured map of the course of the Rhine by Willem and Joan Blaeu. The engraved map on two joint sheets shows the Rhine from its headwaters in Switzerland with the Lake Constance to...
Rhenus Fluviorum Europae Celeberrimus, cum Mosa, Mosella, et Reliquis,...
1635 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12578
Old coloured map of the Rhine River. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem & Joan Blaeu in 1635.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Terra Firma et Novum Regnum Granatense et Popayan
Willem and Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1635
Decorative, old coloured copper engraved map of Colombia by W. Blaeu. Shows parts of Ecuador with Esmeraldas in the south-west, up to Venezuela in the East. In the northwest with Panama and Costa...
Terra Firma et Novum Regnum Granatense et Popayan
1635 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12758
Old coloured map of Colombia, Panama. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem and Joan Blaeu in 1635.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Oldenburg Comitatus
G. Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1638
Antique map of Oldenburg in the Oldenburger Land, Lower Saxony by G. Blaeu. Shows the Oldenburg country between the Weser river and East Friesland from Bremen to Jever and Wildeshausen. Oldenburg...
Oldenburg Comitatus
1638 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11846
Coloured map of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony. Printed in Amsterdam by G. Blaeu in 1638.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Alemannia sive Suevia Superior A. Christophoro Hurtero.
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1638
Beautiful old coloured antique map of Swabia by J. Blaeu. This west-oriented map shows the Lake Constance and the Allgäu Alps and Vorarlberg to the left and the Danube on the right third of the...
Alemannia sive Suevia Superior A. Christophoro Hurtero.
1638 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12970
Old coloured map of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Printed in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu in 1638.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Ducatus Silesiae Glogani Vera Delineatione
circa 1640
Beautiful full old coloured example of Blaeu's map of Glogau (Głogów) in Lower Silesia Province (Dolnośląskie) in Poland. From a Spanish edition of "Atlas Maior".
Ducatus Silesiae Glogani Vera Delineatione
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10314
Old coloured map of Lower Silesia, Glogow, Glogau. Printed circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Circulus Westphalicus, Sive Germaniae Inferioris
Blaeu, Amsterdam, circa 1640
West oriented copper engraved map of North Rhein-Westphalia and Lower Saxony of W. Blaeu. With one beautiful cartouche with a small cityview of Hamburg and two sailing ships. Cities gold highlighted.
Circulus Westphalicus, Sive Germaniae Inferioris
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10457
Old coloured map of Lower Saxony, North Rhein-Westphalia. Printed in Amsterdam by Blaeu circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Fionia vulgo Funen
J. Blaeu, Amsterdam, circa 1640
Beautiful old coloured map of Funen in Denmark from J. Blaeu. Showing Funen, Als and Langeland. With one coloured cartouche and scale.
Fionia vulgo Funen
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10472
Old coloured map of Fyn, Funen, Denmark. Printed in Amsterdam by J. Blaeu circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Palatinatus Bavariae
G- Blaeu, Amsterdam, circa 1640
Nice mid 17th century copper engraved map of Bavaria by G. Blaeu. Showing the area between Nuremberg, Ingolstadt, Furth and Neuhaus. With one cartouche. Rare separate issued sheet without the text...
Palatinatus Bavariae
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10691
Antique map of Bavaria. Printed in Amsterdam by G- Blaeu circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Fezzae et Marocchi regna Africae celeberrima
W. Blaeu, Amsterdam, circa 1640
Old coloured engraved map of Morocco by W. Blaeu. With the Strait of Gibraltar, several sailing ships and a large figural cartouche. The map is based on Ortelius map of 1570. From 'Atlas Major'...
Fezzae et Marocchi regna Africae celeberrima
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10864
Old coloured map of Morocco. Printed in Amsterdam by W. Blaeu circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Taurica Chersonesus, Nostra aetate Przecopsca et Gazara dicitur.
W. Blaeu, Amsterdam, circa 1640
Old coloured engraved map of the Ukraine with the Crimea peninsula by W. Blaeu. With two coloured cartouches and three sailing ships. From 'Atlas Major' around 1640, with German text on verso.
Taurica Chersonesus, Nostra aetate Przecopsca et Gazara dicitur.
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10867
Old coloured map of the Crimea, Ukraine. Printed in Amsterdam by W. Blaeu circa 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula auct: Guiljelmo Blaeuw [and]...
Amsterdam, circa 1640
A matching set of the World and the Continents by Willem J. Blaeu These five maps represent the apogee of seventeenth century Dutch cartography. With their decorative panels of costumed figures,...
Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula auct:...
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11061
Old coloured world map and continent maps with borders by Willem J. Blaeu. Published around 1640 in Amsterdam.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum Terris adiacentibus
Willem & Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1640-43
Blaeu's Striking Sea Chart of the West IndiesHand-coloured antique sea chart of the West Indies by Willem Blaeu. With the East Coast of the Americas from Chesapeake Bay to the Orinoco. First...
Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum Terris adiacentibus
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11919
Coloured sea chart of the West Indies, Florida. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem & Joan Blaeu in 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor.
Willem & Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1640-43
Old coloured antique map of Asia Minor with Turkey and Cyprus by Willem Blaeu. With Constantinople (Istanbul), Smyrna (Izmir) and Antioch. Decorated with a beautiful title cartouche, sea monsters...
Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor.
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12035
Old coloured map of Turkey. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem & Joan Blaeu in 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Campagna di Roma, olim Latium: Patrimonio di S. Pietro, et Sabina
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1640-43
Old coloured map of the Roman Campagna with Rome in the centre by Willem Blaeu. Decorated with two cartouches and two sailing ships. From the first French edition of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum...
Campagna di Roma, olim Latium: Patrimonio di S. Pietro, et Sabina
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12440
Old coloured map of Roman Campagna. Printed in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu in 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Novus Brasiliae Typus
W. J. Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1640-43
Antique map of Brazil by Willem J. Blaeu. Shows a very detailed and accurate coastline while the interior is still speculative. With an inset maps of Baya de Todos os Sanctos (Bay of All Saints)....
Novus Brasiliae Typus
1640 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12759
Coloured map of Brazil. Printed in Amsterdam by W. J. Blaeu in 1640.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Gothia
Joan & Cornelius Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1641-42
Beautiful coloured map of southern Sweden showing Götaland. This is the early version of the map with mileage scale cartouche and without publishers address. With two large coat of arms and several...
Gothia
1641 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11468
Coloured map of Gothia, Götaland, Sweden. Printed in Amsterdam by Joan & Cornelius Blaeu in 1641.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Guinea
Willem & Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1642-43
Very decorative antique sea chart of West Africa by Willem Blaeu. Showing the Gulf of Guinea with the coasts of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea to Gabon. With elephants,...
Guinea
1642 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12045
Coloured sea chart of West Africa. Printed in Amsterdam by Willem & Joan Blaeu in 1642.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Stiria Steyrmarck
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1642-43
Antique map of Styria by Joan Blaeu. Showing Styria with adjacent provinces. With Leoben, Kapfenberg, Bruck an der Mur and Feldbach, Graz in the centre. Above right a beautiful title cartouche with...
Stiria Steyrmarck
1642 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12692
Coloured map of Styria, Steiermark. Printed in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu in 1642.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Virginiae Partis australis, et Floridae Partis Orientalis, interjacentiumq, regionum Nova Descripti
circa 1643
Attractive map of the east coast of Virginia and Florida. Second state with small tail at left water-cherub. "One of the many elegantly engraved maps of the Eastern seaboard of North America...
Virginiae Partis australis, et Floridae Partis Orientalis,...
1643 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
10076
Old coloured map of Virginia. Printed circa 1643.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula auct: Guiljelmo Blaeuw.
Amsterdam, 1643-50
One of the Most Famous World Maps of Dutch Cartography with Stunning Old Colours.Perhaps the finest world map ever printed. This map represents the apogee of seventeenth century Dutch...
Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula auct:...
1643 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
11522
Old coloured world map with borders by Willem J. Blaeu. Published 1643 in Amsterdam.
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu: Regiones Sub Polo Arctico
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1643-50
Old coloured sea chart of the North Pole by Willem Blaeu. With Greenland and Canada, Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway and the north coast of Russia. The map shows, the famous Northwest Passage , a...
Regiones Sub Polo Arctico
1643 - Willem Janszoon Blaeu
12043
Old coloured sea chart of the North Pole. Printed in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu in 1643.
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