America Septentrionalis

Valck & Schenk edition of the earliest separate map of the North America to appare in any Dutch Atlas, first published by Hendrick Hondius in 1636/39, then by Janssonius and often included in the composite Visscher and Allard atlases.

In 1604, Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612) – probably trought Cornelis Claesz - bought the copperplates of Mercator’s Atlas sive cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica mundi at the auction of Gerard Jr.’s effects. He added about 40 maps, including new maps of the Continents and important regional maps of the Americas, before publishing a new edition of the Atlas, in 1606, in competition with Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. As many of the maps were more up-to-date, the Mercator-Hondius Atlas effectively superseded Ortelius’ Theatrum.  This atlas from 1606 include all 107 maps from the 1595 edition, as well as 37 new maps, skillfully engraved by Hondius, of various authors.

The second edition of the Mercator-Hondius atlas followed as soon as 1607/08. The first edition in another language, French, was put on the market in 1609. Apparently this one was regarded as the third edition, because in 1611 Editio Quarta appeared with a total of 150 maps. After the death of Jodocus Hondius in 1612 his widow and sons continued the publication of the Atlas. For instance Jodocus Junior (1594-1629) produced several new editions of the Editio Quarta between 1613 and 1619, each with the same 150 maps. Finally in 1619 the last edition of this atlas followed, to which six new maps were added. After 1620 the publication of the Atlas was continued by Henricus Hondius (ca. 1596/97-1651), the second son of Jodocus senior. Various editions appeared, in 1623, 1628 and 1630. Henricus Hondius was the first to make some real changes: in the 1628 edition he provided some Mercator maps with his own name. In 1630, when he was probably already cooperating with his brother-in- law Johannes Janssonius, Henricus added nine new maps.

In 1694 Petrus Schenk acquired all of the Atlas Major maps at public auction, and began issuing the map with his own imprint. This last state is uncommon.

Shortly, after 1700 he relaced the map with a new one based upon the more advanced geography of Guillaume de L'Isle.

“Henricus Hondius' beautifully engraved map of North America had greater influence than any other to date in perpetuating the theory of California as an island. This was because it was disseminated through the medium of his powerful Dutch publishing house. None of the earlier California as an island maps had reached such a wide audience. The 1630s were a decade of constant development in the houses of Blaeu and Hondius. It is interesting to note that Blaeu never produced a single sheet map of North America; both Willem and Joan relied upon that of the whole continent first produced in 1617, throughout their publishing history. During this decade Joannes Janssonius became an active partner of Hondius, and although this map bears no imprint it is assigned to the latter on the basis that at the same time a map of South America appeared displaying his name.

Cartographically this map is a careful composition of many different sources and illustrates well the current state of knowledge. The depiction and nomenclature of the west, along with that of the insular California, derive directly from the Henry Briggs The North Part of AMERICA, 1625. A legend placed strategically over the north-west coastline offers the opportunity to discontinue a coastline least understood. An unnamed lake still feeds a Rio del Norto flowing incorrectly south-west into what should be the headwaters of the Gulf of California. On the east bank of this river is Real de Nueua Mexico, or Santa Fe. The Gulf of Mexico and the Florida peninsula originate from the Hessel Gerritsz chart of c.1631.

The east coast, however, is harder to define; the south-east appears to be quite generic in form. It is the area north of here that does not appear to be from a particular source. The Chesapeake Bay area is defined in about as much detail as the scale and style of the map will allow, lames Towne being clearly identified. NOVUM BELGIUM is unlike any other before it, the area between the Zuitt Reuier (Delaware River) and the Noort R (Hudson River) being greatly elongated on a north-east to south-west axis. New Amsterdam is curiously not designated although Fort Orange is present. For New England just a select few names have been chosen from John Smith's map of the area, 1616. The Gulf of St. Lawrence appears to follow de Laet more than Champlain. The latter is used to depict a single great lake; however, its name, Lac des Iroquois, is borrowed from one nearby. Interestingly the author chose not use Champlain's more recent 1632 map but the earlier 1612 CARTE GEOGRAPHIQVE DE LA NOVVELLE FRANSE. To avoid unknown territory he does not venture the river system further west, unlike Champlain. Along the Atlantic coast of Labrador we find for the first time much Dutch nomenclature, reflecting their increased whaling activities in these waters. Hudson Bay is clearly derived from Briggs, 1625, except for the west coast where he introduces the cartography of Thomas James, 1633. The addition of a fox here could be seen as a veiled reference to Luke Foxe, whose own map of the previous year bears just such an animal.

The map was one of many introduced in the late 1630s to be included in the rapidly developing Atlas Novus. After the death of Janssonius in 1664 the business was left to a number of different parties, and it could not be divided in such a way that ensured the continued production of the various atlases. During this period some of the maps were often sold to order; such as for the atlases of Nicolaas Visscher and Carol Allard. This map appears in such atlases unchanged until c.1694. In that year Petrus Schenk acquired all of the Atlas Major plates at public auction from the heirs of Jansson van Waesberge, and began issuing the map with his own imprint. This last state is uncommon. Shortly after 1700 he replaced the map with a new one based upon the more advanced geography of Guillaume de L'Isle.” (Burden " The Mapping of North America", p. 309).

Fine original colouring, refreshed, in good conditions.

Bibliografia:

Burden "The Mapping of North America", pp. 309-311, n. 245.