British Isles by Nicolaes Visscher I. 1677-80
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.
Magnae Britanniae Tabula, Angliam, Scotiam, et Hiberniam continens.
Item Number: 28586 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > British Isles
Old, antique map of British Isles by Nicolaes Visscher I.
Title: Magnae Britanniae Tabula, Angliam, Scotiam, et Hiberniam continens.
In lucem edita per Nicolaum Vißcher.
Nicolaus Vißcher excudebat.
Date of the first edition: c. 1670.
Date of this map: 1677-80.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Map size: 450 x 530mm (17.72 x 20.87 inches).
Sheet size: 540 x 615mm (21.26 x 24.21 inches).
Verso: Blank.
Condition: Original coloured, lower centrefold split reinforced.
Condition Rating: A.
From: Atlas Contractus Orbis Terrarum Praecipuas ac Novissimas Complectens Tabulas. Amsterdam, N. Visscher, 1656-80. (Koeman III, Vis5-8)
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
Paskaart van 't Canaal Engelandt Schotlandt en Yrland 1697-1709
British Isles, by Van Keulen Johannes.
[Item number: 5817]
Angliae Scotiae et Hibernie Nova Descriptio 1593
British Isles, by de G. Jode.
[Item number: 11236]
Angliae, Scotiae, et Hiberniae, sive Britannicae Insularum Descriptio. 1579
The British Isles by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 17897]
Paskaarte om achter Yrlant om te Zeylen van Hitlant tot aen Heyssant. 1665
British Isles, by Hendrik Doncker.
[Item number: 18567]
Paskaarte om Achter Yrlandt om te Zeylen van Hitlant tot aen Heyssat Nieuwlycx Uytgegeven 1667
The British Isles, by Pieter Goos.
[Item number: 19046]
Angliae, Scotiae, et Hiberniae, sive Britannicae Insularum Descriptio. 1601
The British Isles, by Ortelius A.
[Item number: 22869]
Big and spectacular map
Les Isles Britanniques; qui Contiennent les Royaumes d'Angleterre, Escosse, et Irlande ... 1710
British Isles by Sanson - Covens & Mortier.
[Item number: 23726]
Anglia, Scotia et Hibernia. 1623
British Isles, by Gerard Mercator.
[Item number: 24894]
Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabula. 1662
British Isles, by W. & J. Blaeu.
[Item number: 25200]
Les Isles Britanniques ou sont le Royaume D'Angleterre Tiré de Sped Celuy D'Ecosse Tiré de Th. Pont et Celuy D'Irlande Riré de Petti. 1730
British Isles by Guillaume Delisle, published by Covens & Mortier.
[Item number: 25680]
Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabulae. - Die Britannischen Insulen. 1638
The British Isles, by M. Merian.
[Item number: 25904]
Insularum Britannicarum Acurata Delineatio ex Geographicis Conatibus Abrahami Ortelii. 1641
The British Isles, by Johannes Janssonius.
[Item number: 26483]
Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabula. 1645
The British Isles, by Joan and Willem Blaeu
[Item number: 26715]
Les Isles Britanniques Comprenant les Royaumes d'Angleterre, d'Ecosse et d'Iralnade, divisés en grandes provinces, ... 1776-79
British Isles, by Francesco Santini.
[Item number: 26959]
Britannicarum Insularum Typus. 1624
The British Isles, by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 27469]
Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabula. 1629
British Isles by Pieter Verbiest
[Item number: 27737]
Les Isles Britanniques; qui Contiennent les Royaumes d'Angleterre, Escosse, et Irlande. c. 1705
British Isles, by H. Jaillot
[Item number: 27772]
Britannia prout divisa fuit temporibus Anglo-Saxonum, praesertim durante illorum Heptarchia. 1652
Great Brittain by Georg Hornius
[Item number: 28033]
Britannicae Insulae in quibus Albion Seu Britannia Major, et Ivernia Seu Britannia Minor. 1776-79
British Isles, by Paolo Santini, after Nicolas Sanson & Sr. Robert de Vaugondy.
[Item number: 28105]
Novissima Prae Caeteris aliis Accuratissima Regnorum Angliae, Scotiae, Hiberniae. c. 1691-96
British Isles by Frederik De Wit.
[Item number: 28239]
Parte Settentrionale del Regno D'Inghilterra. [in set with:] Parte Meridionale del Regno D'Inghilterra. 1696
England by Vincenzo Coronelli.
[Item number: 28662]
Les Isles Britanniques ou sont le Rme d'Angleterre tiré de Sped celuy d'Ecosse tiré de Th.Pont &c. et celuy d'Irlande tire de Petti, c. 1709
The British Isles by G. Delisle, published by Pierre Husson.
[Item number: 29562]
Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae Tabula. 1631
British Isles by Blaeu, with three decorative borders
[Item number: 29586]
Carte Générale des Royaume d'Angleterre Escosse et Irlande. 1652
British Isles by Nicolas Sanson, published by Melchior Tavernier / Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 29604]
Brtiannicae [sic] Insulae in quibus Albium sive Britannia Maior Iuernia sive Britannia Minor tum et Orcades, Ebudes, Cassiterides. 1652
Ancient British Isles by Nicolas Sanson.
[Item number: 29623]
Inghilterra. - [Above map :] Descrittione dell'Isola d'Inghilterra. 1590
British Isles, by Thomaso Porcacchi.
[Item number: 29755]
Britannicae Insulae in quibus Albium Sive Britannia Maior Iuernie Sive Bitannia Minor tum et Orcades, Ebudes, Cassiterides. 1659
Ancient British Isles by Melchior Tavernier and Nicolas Sanson.
[Item number: 30014]
Nouvelle Carte d'Angleterre, d'Ecosse et d'Irlande, avec des Instructions pour connoitre les differents etats de la Couronne d'Angleterre en Europe, Asie, Afrique, et Amérique. 1708
British Isles with a world map in two hemispheres, by Zacharias Châtelain.
[Item number: 30167]
Verschiedene Reisen des Auctoris. 1753-55
British Isles by George Edwards.
[Item number: 30331]
Rare 1525 edition in nice old colour.
[No title - On verso:] Principium Europae. 1525
Ptolemy map of the British Isles by Lorenz Fries, after Martin Waldseemüller
[Item number: 30646]
new
Rare 1525 edition in nice old colour
Tabula Moderna Hiber. 1525
Ptolemy map of the British Isles by Lorenz Fries, after Martin Waldseemüller.
[Item number: 30663]
new