America by Nicolaes Visscher I. 1656-77
The Visscher Family
For nearly a century, the members of the Visscher family were essential art dealers and map publishers in Amsterdam.
Claes Jansz. Visscher, or N.J. Piscator (1587-1652)
Claes Jansz. Vischer bought a house in Amsterdam, 'de gulden Bors', on the crucial Kalverstraat and changed the name into "In de Visscher"; under this title, the shop was to flourish for many years.
He was famous for his engravings and etchings of Dutch landscapes and 'historical scenes', such as sieges, battles, etc. These 'historical scenes' were considered contemporary illustrated news items, especially e.g. that of 'the Eighty Years' War'.
For the publication of his first atlas, he bought copperplates of the atlas Germania Inferior by Pieter van den Keere (1623).
In 1649, he published an atlas entitled Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum, containing the same maps as Langenes' Caert Thresoor, for which Visscher had only new title pages engraved.
Claes Jansz. Visscher died in 1652. His wife, Neeltjen Florisdr., had already died in 1640. They had seven children, four of whom were still alive at Claes Jansz.'s death. One was Nicolaes Visscher I, who was to continue his father's business.
Nicolaes Visscher I (1618-1679)
Nicolaes Visscher I partnered with his father, continued the business, and stayed on the Kalverstraat 'in de Visscher' till his death.
In about 1657, the first edition of his Atlas Contractus Orbis Terrarum appeared.
Between 1664 and 1677, several editions of his Atlas Contractus appeared without a printed index, for these atlases had no fixed contents but were composed according to the buyer's financial leaping pole.
In May 1664, Nicolaes Visscher was admitted as a member of the Booksellers' Guild of his town. In July 1677, he was granted a patent of the States of Holland and West-Friesland for printing and publishing maps and atlases for 15 years.
After this, he again published an Atlas Contractus with a printed index. At about the same time, he also brought out an Atlas Minor.
Nicolaes Visscher II (1649-1702)
Nicolaes Visscher II inherited the 'shop' from his father. To obtain a new privilege, he applied to the States of Holland and West-Friesland in 1682 for a patent for printing and publishing maps. This patent was granted to him the same year. He moved the firm to the Dam, but it kept the same signboard: "In de Visscher".
Around 1683, he published his first Atlas Minor with a printed index of 91 maps. In 1684, an atlas Germania Inferior appeared. Till 1697, he published another number of atlases. He used his grandfather's (Claes Jansz.) maps less often now and relied more and more on his own.
The wars waged at this time initiated the compilation of maps of the countries where the armies operated. Many war maps were included in the various editions of his Atlas Minor.
After Nicolaes's death, his wife, Elizabeth Verseyl, published all the war maps as an atlas under the title De Stoel des Oorlogs in de Wereld (The seat of war in the world).
The widow of Nicolaes Visscher II (?-1726)
His widow continued the business energetically, and by her hand, under the name of her deceased husband, numerous atlases appeared, e.g., several editions of the Atlas Minor, an Atlas Maior and De Stoel des Oorlogs. The shop enjoyed a high reputation due to the assortment's incredible variety. Not only 'Visscher' maps but also maps of other publishers were obtainable. With the death of Elizabeth Verseyl in 1726, the last descendant died of a great map- and atlas-publishing firm in Amsterdam.
Novissima et Accuratissima Totius Americae Descriptio.
Item Number: 28554 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > America > The Americas
Old, antique map of America, by Nicolaes Visscher I.
Title: Novissima et Accuratissima Totius Americae Descriptio.
per N. Visscher.
First state (without privilege).
California as an island.
Date of the first edition: c. 1658.
Date of this map: 1656-77.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Map size: 435 x 550mm (17.13 x 21.65 inches).
Sheet size: 540 x 615mm (21.26 x 24.21 inches).
Verso: Blank.
Condition: Original coloured, minor offsetting.
Condition Rating: A+.
References: Burden #332, State 1; McLaughlin, #48; Tooley (America), p.119 #29 (Pl.41)
From: Atlas Contractus Orbis Terrarum Praecipuas ac Novissimas Complectens Tabulas. Amsterdam, N. Visscher, 1656-77. (Koeman III, Vis5-8)
This map is dedicated to Cornelius Witsen, his coat of arms is shown on a shield supported by angels.
The Visscher Family
For nearly a century, the members of the Visscher family were essential art dealers and map publishers in Amsterdam.
Claes Jansz. Visscher, or N.J. Piscator (1587-1652)
Claes Jansz. Vischer bought a house in Amsterdam, 'de gulden Bors', on the crucial Kalverstraat and changed the name into "In de Visscher"; under this title, the shop was to flourish for many years.
He was famous for his engravings and etchings of Dutch landscapes and 'historical scenes', such as sieges, battles, etc. These 'historical scenes' were considered contemporary illustrated news items, especially e.g. that of 'the Eighty Years' War'.
For the publication of his first atlas, he bought copperplates of the atlas Germania Inferior by Pieter van den Keere (1623).
In 1649, he published an atlas entitled Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum, containing the same maps as Langenes' Caert Thresoor, for which Visscher had only new title pages engraved.
Claes Jansz. Visscher died in 1652. His wife, Neeltjen Florisdr., had already died in 1640. They had seven children, four of whom were still alive at Claes Jansz.'s death. One was Nicolaes Visscher I, who was to continue his father's business.
Nicolaes Visscher I (1618-1679)
Nicolaes Visscher I partnered with his father, continued the business, and stayed on the Kalverstraat 'in de Visscher' till his death.
In about 1657, the first edition of his Atlas Contractus Orbis Terrarum appeared.
Between 1664 and 1677, several editions of his Atlas Contractus appeared without a printed index, for these atlases had no fixed contents but were composed according to the buyer's financial leaping pole.
In May 1664, Nicolaes Visscher was admitted as a member of the Booksellers' Guild of his town. In July 1677, he was granted a patent of the States of Holland and West-Friesland for printing and publishing maps and atlases for 15 years.
After this, he again published an Atlas Contractus with a printed index. At about the same time, he also brought out an Atlas Minor.
Nicolaes Visscher II (1649-1702)
Nicolaes Visscher II inherited the 'shop' from his father. To obtain a new privilege, he applied to the States of Holland and West-Friesland in 1682 for a patent for printing and publishing maps. This patent was granted to him the same year. He moved the firm to the Dam, but it kept the same signboard: "In de Visscher".
Around 1683, he published his first Atlas Minor with a printed index of 91 maps. In 1684, an atlas Germania Inferior appeared. Till 1697, he published another number of atlases. He used his grandfather's (Claes Jansz.) maps less often now and relied more and more on his own.
The wars waged at this time initiated the compilation of maps of the countries where the armies operated. Many war maps were included in the various editions of his Atlas Minor.
After Nicolaes's death, his wife, Elizabeth Verseyl, published all the war maps as an atlas under the title De Stoel des Oorlogs in de Wereld (The seat of war in the world).
The widow of Nicolaes Visscher II (?-1726)
His widow continued the business energetically, and by her hand, under the name of her deceased husband, numerous atlases appeared, e.g., several editions of the Atlas Minor, an Atlas Maior and De Stoel des Oorlogs. The shop enjoyed a high reputation due to the assortment's incredible variety. Not only 'Visscher' maps but also maps of other publishers were obtainable. With the death of Elizabeth Verseyl in 1726, the last descendant died of a great map- and atlas-publishing firm in Amsterdam.
Related items
America sive India Nova ad magnae Gerardi Mercatoris avi Universalis imitationem in compendium redacta. 1623
America, by Gerard Mercator
[Item number: 131]
Americae nova Tabula. 1647-49
America, by Willem Blaeu.
[Item number: 6717]
America Sive Novus Orbis Respectu Europaeorum Inferior Globi Terrestri Pars. 1596. 1596
The Americas by Theodore de Bry.
[Item number: 12546]
Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio. 1598
America, by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 25618]
Americae tam Septentrionalis quam Meridionalis in Mappa Geographica Delineatio. c. 1700
America by A.F. Zürner, published by Petrus Schenk.
[Item number: 25715]
L'Amerique Divisée en ses Principaux Etats Assujettie aux Observations Astronomiq. 1776-79
America, by Francesco Santini.
[Item number: 26978]
Typus Orbis Terrarum, [in set with:] Europa, [and] Asia, [and] Americae Descrip., [and] Africae Descriptio. 1607
World + Continents, by Jodocus Hondius.
[Item number: 27088]
America sive India Nova, ad magnae Gerardi Mercatoris avu Universalis imitationem, in compendium redacta. 1623
America, by Gerard Mercator.
[Item number: 27752]
Original Halma edition.
L'Amerique selon les Nouvelles Observations de Messrs. de l'Academie des Sciences, etc. Before 1713
America, by François Halma.
[Item number: 28017]
Novissima et Accuratissima Septentrionalis ac Meridionalis Americae. c. 1715
America by Frederick de Wit, published by Covens & Mortier.
[Item number: 28295]
America. 1598
America, by Giovanni Lorenzo d'Anania, published by Girolamo Ruscelli.
[Item number: 28432]
America. 1613
America by Jodocus Hondius.
[Item number: 28530]
First plate
Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio. 1572
America by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 29237]
One of the most elaborately engraved maps ever published.
Carte tres Curieuse de la Mer du Sud, Contenant des Remarques Nouvelles et tres Utiles non Seulement sur les Ports et Iles de cette Mer, 1719
Pacific by Zacharias Châtelain after Nicolas de Fer.
[Item number: 29466]
Luxury colour.
America noviter delineata. 1666
America by Jodocus Hondius Jr, published by Joannes Janssonius.
[Item number: 29790]
Le table des neufues lesquelles on appelle isles d'Occident & d'Indie pour divers regard. 1555
America by Sebastian Münster.
[Item number: 30379]
America sive India Nova, ad magnae Gerardi Mercatoris avu Universalis imitationem, in compendium redacta. 1613
America (Western Hemisphere), by Gerard Mercator.
[Item number: 30733]
L'Amerique Divisée en ses Principaux Etats Assujettie aux Observations Astronomiq. 1769
America by Sr Janvier, published by Lattré.
[Item number: 31125]
new