Switzerland by Johannes Janssonius. c. 1678
The Janssonius Family
Joannes Janssonius (Arnhem, 1588-1664), son of the Arnhem publisher Jan Janssen, married Elisabeth Hondius, daughter of Jodocus Hondius, in Amsterdam in 1612. After his marriage, he settled down in this town as a bookseller and publisher of cartographic material. In 1618, he established himself in Amsterdam next door to Blaeu’s bookshop. He entered into serious competition with Willem Jansz. Blaeu when copying Blaeu’s Licht der Zeevaert after the expiration of the privilege in 1620. His activities concerned the publication of atlases, books, single maps, and an extensive book trade with branches in Frankfurt, Danzig, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Koningsbergen, Geneva, and Lyon. In 1631, he began publishing atlases together with Henricus Hondius.
In the early 1640s, Henricus Hondius left the atlas publishing business to Janssonius. Competition with Joan Blaeu, Willem’s son and successor, in atlas production, prompted Janssonius to enlarge his Atlas Novus finally into a work of six volumes, into which a sea atlas and an atlas of the Old World were inserted. Other atlases published by Janssonius are Mercator’s Atlas Minor, Hornius’s historical atlas (1652), the townbooks in eight volumes (1657), Cellarius’s Atlas Coelestis and several sea atlases and pilot guides.
After the death of Joannes Janssonius, the shop and publishing firm were continued by the heirs under the direction of Johannes van Waesbergen (c. 1616-1681), son-in-law of Joannes Janssonius. Van Waesbergen added Janssonius's name to his own.
In 1676, Joannes Janssonius’s heirs sold by auction “all the remaining Atlases in Latin, French, High and Low German, as well as the Stedeboecken in Latin, in 8 volumes, bound and unbound, maps, plates belonging to the Atlas and Stedeboecken.” The copperplates from Janssonius’s atlases were afterwards sold to Schenk and Valck.
Helvetiae Rhetiae & Valesiae cum omnibus finitimis regionibus Tabula Vulgo Schweitzerland.
Item Number: 28538 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > Switzerland
Old, antique map of Switzerland, by Johannes Janssonius.
Title: Helvetiae Rhetiae & Valesiae cum omnibus finitimis regionibus Tabula Vulgo Schweitzerland.
Alstelodami, Apud Joannem Janssonium.
Date of the first edition: 1638.
Date of this map: c. 1678.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Map size: 420 x 535mm (16.54 x 21.06 inches).
Sheet size: 540 x 615mm (21.26 x 24.21 inches).
Verso: Blank.
Condition: Original coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: A+.
References: Van der Krogt 1, 4900:1C; Blumer (Schweiz), p. 65 #103
From: Atlas Contractus Orbis Terrarum Praecipuas ac Novissimas Complectens Tabulas. Amsterdam, N. Visscher, 1656-77. (Koeman III, Vis5-8)
The Janssonius Family
Joannes Janssonius (Arnhem, 1588-1664), son of the Arnhem publisher Jan Janssen, married Elisabeth Hondius, daughter of Jodocus Hondius, in Amsterdam in 1612. After his marriage, he settled down in this town as a bookseller and publisher of cartographic material. In 1618, he established himself in Amsterdam next door to Blaeu’s bookshop. He entered into serious competition with Willem Jansz. Blaeu when copying Blaeu’s Licht der Zeevaert after the expiration of the privilege in 1620. His activities concerned the publication of atlases, books, single maps, and an extensive book trade with branches in Frankfurt, Danzig, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Koningsbergen, Geneva, and Lyon. In 1631, he began publishing atlases together with Henricus Hondius.
In the early 1640s, Henricus Hondius left the atlas publishing business to Janssonius. Competition with Joan Blaeu, Willem’s son and successor, in atlas production, prompted Janssonius to enlarge his Atlas Novus finally into a work of six volumes, into which a sea atlas and an atlas of the Old World were inserted. Other atlases published by Janssonius are Mercator’s Atlas Minor, Hornius’s historical atlas (1652), the townbooks in eight volumes (1657), Cellarius’s Atlas Coelestis and several sea atlases and pilot guides.
After the death of Joannes Janssonius, the shop and publishing firm were continued by the heirs under the direction of Johannes van Waesbergen (c. 1616-1681), son-in-law of Joannes Janssonius. Van Waesbergen added Janssonius's name to his own.
In 1676, Joannes Janssonius’s heirs sold by auction “all the remaining Atlases in Latin, French, High and Low German, as well as the Stedeboecken in Latin, in 8 volumes, bound and unbound, maps, plates belonging to the Atlas and Stedeboecken.” The copperplates from Janssonius’s atlases were afterwards sold to Schenk and Valck.
Related items
Helvetiae Descriptio Aegidio Tschudo Auct. 1598
Switzerland, by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 3868]
Die erst Tafel innhaltend das Schweytzerlandt mit den anstossenden Ländern. 1588
Switzerland by Sebastian Münster.
[Item number: 14631]
Helvetia Prima Rheni et V Nova Tabula. 1542
Switzerland by Sebastian Munster.
[Item number: 14925]
Exactissima Helvetiae Rhaetiae, Valesiae ... 1683-1696
Switzerland, by Visscher N.
[Item number: 18692]
Helvetia Tredecim Statibus Liberis quos Cantones vocant Composita ... c. 1757.
Switzerland, by Homann Heirs.
[Item number: 22480]
Helvetiae Descriptio Aegidio Tschudo Auct. 1612
Switzerland, by Ortelius A.
[Item number: 22945]
Helvetiae Descriptio Aegidio Tschudo Auct. 1579
SWITZERLAND by Abraham Ortelius
[Item number: 23164]
Carte de la Souverainete de Neuchatel et Vallangin ... 1721-41
Switzerland - Lake of Neuchâtel by Guillaume Delisle, published by Covens & Mortier.
[Item number: 23877]
Nouvelle Description du Pais de Suysse. 1555
Switzerland, by Sebastian Munster.
[Item number: 25172]
Nova Helvetiae, Foederatarumque cum ea, nec non Subditarum Regionum Tabula ... 1730
Switzerland by Guillaume Delisle, published by Covens & Mortier.
[Item number: 25699]
La Suisse. 1713
Switzerland, by Pieter Van der Aa.
[Item number: 26174]
Helvetia cum finitimis regionibus confoederatis. 1641
Switzerland, by Henricus Hondius
[Item number: 26292]
La Suisse Divisee en ses Treize Cantons et ses Allies. 1776-79
Switzerland, by Francesco Santini.
[Item number: 26957]
Helvetia cum finitimis regionibus confoederatis. 1623
Switzerland, by Gerard Mercator.
[Item number: 27884]
Nova Helvetiae Tabula. c. 1634
Switzerland, by Jodocus Hondius.
[Item number: 28003]
Ta . Here . Helve. [From verso] 1525
Switzerland by Lorenz Fries.
[Item number: 28199]
Helvetia Divisa in Tredicem Cantones sive Regiones, Bernam nempe Fruburgum, Solodurum, Basileam, Schafhusiam; Tigurum et Lucernam, cum foederatis Regionibus, numirum Comitatu Neoburgensi, urbe Biela, Resp. Genevensi Abbatia S. Galleni et Vallesia. c. 1702
Switzerland by Gerard & Leonard Valck.
[Item number: 28270]
Carte Générale des treize Cantons Suisse, et des différents Etats de leur Dépendance; ainsi que la pluspart des Etats qui leur sont voisins et aliez; avec des tables pour l'intelligence de l'Histoire. 1708
Switzerlandx, by Zacharias Châtelain.
[Item number: 29444]
La Suisse divisée en ses Treze Cantons, Ses Alliez & Ses Sujets, c. 1709
Switzerland by Hubert Jaillot, published by Pierre Mortier.
[Item number: 29566]