COLLECTION NAME:
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
Record
Author:
Blaeu, Willem Janszoon, 1571-1638
Date:
1619
Short Title:
Text: Capittel X. Beschryvinghe van der See-custen van Schoonen Zeelandt, Halandt, ende van't Landt van Noord-oosten van Valsterboen af tot Schaghen. (3)
Type:
Text Page
Type:
View
Obj Height cm:
26
Obj Width cm:
58
Note:
Tenth chapter to "Tvveede boeck" - second book - of Het Licht der Zee-vaert. Title translates (loosely) to: Description of the sea coast ... from northeast of Västerbotten ... Includes sections: II. Hoemen uyt de Sondt door den Drooghen ende in het Reeshol sal seylen. -- III. Hoemen uyt de Sondt naer Elleboghen ofte Malmuyen ende naer Landtscroon sal seylen. -- IV. De gheleghentheyt van de Sondt naer Col, ende benoorden Zeelandt naer de Belt. Features engraved profile views. Spans pages 68-76.
Full Title:
(Text Page to) Capittel X. Beschryvinghe van der See-custen van Schoonen Zeelandt, Halandt, ende van't Landt van Noord-oosten van Valsterboen af tot Schaghen. (3)
List No:
14351.180
Page No:
70-71
Series No:
180
Publication Author:
Blaeu, Willem Janszoon, 1571-1638
Pub Date:
1620
Pub Title:
Het Licht der Zee-vaert daerinne claersyck beschreven ende afghebeeldet werdé, alle de Custen end Havenen; vande Westersche, Noordsche, Oostersche ende Middelandsche Zee'n. Dock van vele Landen, Eylanden ende plaetsen van Guinea, Brasilien, Oost ende West-Indien. Wt de alderbeste Zeebeschryvers gheschriften (als Locas Ians z. Waghenaer ende meer andere) eenfdeels vergadert: maer uyt vele ervarene Zeevaerders schriften ende mondtlycke verclaringhen van alle verlopen ghebetert, ende met veel nieuwe beschryvinghen ende Caerten seer vermeerdert. Alles ghedeelt in vier boecken, waer van yders inhoudt voor elck uytghedruckt staet. Hier zyn byghevoeght (beneffens eene onderwysinghe in de conste der Zeevaert) nieuwe tafelen van der zonnen declinatie, gherekent uyt de observation van Tyche Brahe, ende gherecht op de Meridiaen van Amsterdam. Midsgaders nieuwe tafelenende onderwys van't recht ghebruyck der Noordsterre ende andere vaste sterren alle Zeevarende luyden te nut ghedaen. Door Willem Ians Zoon. Tot Amsterdam. Anno 1620.
Pub Note:
Het Licht der Zee-vaert, by Willem Blaeu; published in Amsterdam, 1620. Title translates to: The light of the sea. This chart atlas was Blaeu's first atlas. Initially published in 1608, this is the fifth Dutch edition with 38 (of 42) maps. Oblong quarto. Engraved title, engraved frontispiece, 38 mostly double-page engraved charts (of 42, lacking 4 maps of Denmark), woodcut illustrations and diagrams within the text, 1 with volvelle (lacking 1), letterpress tables within decorative woodcut borders. Volume comprised of 261 woodcut coastal profiles in the text, illustrations, tables and charts. Recent fine full calf binding with richly gilt spine in compartments. Collation: Engraved title, (2), engraved frontispiece, 54 pp. (A4-F4, G2) lacking 2 pages; (2, title to Eerste Boeck), [1-8], 9-119, (1 blank) pp. (2, title to Tvveede Boeck), 3-130, [131] pp. 38 engraved maps (lacking 4). Probably lacking 1 volvelle in the beginning. Lacking 4 maps of Denmark, numbers 21-22, 24-25. Het Licht der Zee-vaert was the first book produced by the Blaeu publishing house, heralding a golden age of atlas production, and survives in only a few copies. It is one of the most important Dutch pilot-guides. Blaeu's pilot books were divided into chapters, each containing navigational instructions for specific sections of coastline, accompanied by a finely engraved coastal chart for each section. Map titles appeared in Dutch and French, with woodcut profile views illustrating the text. Blaeu included an editorial commentary at the beginning of the volume, condemning the generally held view of mariners that manuscript charts were better and more accurate than printed sea charts. Blaeu questioned the widely held belief of the time that manuscript charts were updated on a daily basis. Maps show the coasts of England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Baltics, Pomerania, Spain, France, Northern Africa, Canaries, Maderia, etc. Richly embellished with decorative cartouches, sailing ships, sea-monsters, compass roses and sometimes with insets. The map "Carte van de Reede ende Haven van Medenblick" in the beginning, was not published until the edition 1618, and only published with the Dutch title until 1620 (the cartouche for the French title was, as in this case, blank). In 1618, Blaeu added a third chapter, covering the coastline of the Mediterranean. The first two charts, signed by Blaeu as Willem Jansz, cover the eastern and western Mediterranean. Willem Blaeu's earliest work focused on navigational aids for mariners. His first publication in this field was his Nieuw graetbouck, for which there are no known surviving examples. His next works of importance were two pilot guides, the Het licht der Zee-vaert and Zeespiegel (first edition 1623). In 1621, Johannes Jansson published a direct copy of Blaeu’s pilot guide Het licht der Zee-vaert, as Blaeu’s copyright had expired. Blaeu, in turn, competed against Jansson and his brother-in-law Henricus Hondius by producing an atlas, which spurred a rivalry lasting for over 50 years. Blaeu (1571-1638) was a prominent Dutch geographer and publisher. Born the son of a herring merchant, Blaeu became mathematician and astronomer. He studied with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, with whom he honed his instrument and globe making skills. Blaeu set up shop in Amsterdam, where he sold instruments and globes, published maps, and edited the works of intellectuals such as Descartes and Hugo Grotius. In 1630 he issued his first world atlas, Atlas Appendix (see our 12202.000). In 1635, he released his atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas novus. Willem died in 1638. He had two sons, Cornelis (1610-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). Joan trained as a lawyer, but joined his father’s business rather than practice law. After his father’s death, the brothers took over their father’s shop and Joan took on his work as hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company. Later in life, Joan would modify and greatly expand his father’s Atlas novus, eventually releasing his own masterpiece, the Atlas maior, between 1662 and 1672 (see our 10017.000).
Pub List No:
14351.000
Pub Type:
Chart Atlas
Pub Height cm:
27
Pub Width cm:
31
Image No:
14351180.jp2
Authors:
Blaeu, Willem Janszoon, 1571-1638
