A magnificent, large-scale and exceptionally detailed map of the Eiderstedt peninsula on the North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, surveyed by the celebrated cartographer Johannes Meyer (1606–1674) and published by Joan Blaeu in his monumental Atlas Maior.

The map depicts the three historic districts of Eiderstedt, Everschop and Utholm, which together formed the Eiderstedt peninsula. Situated between the estuaries of the Eider and the Hever, this low-lying coastal region was particularly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges. Its landscape had been profoundly shaped by centuries of land reclamation, dike construction and the devastating effects of North Sea floods.

Meyer's map provides an extraordinarily detailed picture of the region in the mid-seventeenth century. Numerous villages, farms, churches, roads, drainage channels and dikes are meticulously recorded, together with the boundaries of individual polders and administrative districts. Among the principal settlements shown are Tönning, Garding, Tating, Oldenswort and Witzwort. The extensive network of waterways, tidal channels and reclaimed land illustrates the complex relationship between the inhabitants and their maritime environment.

Particularly interesting is the representation of the Hever Strom to the north and the Eider Strom to the south, together with the surrounding tidal waters, sandbanks and coastal islands. Several sailing vessels enliven the maritime areas, while a finely engraved compass rose appears in the upper left portion of the map.

The elaborate title cartouche in the lower right is one of the composition's most attractive features. It incorporates maritime imagery, including a sailing ship, and is flanked by two figures in contemporary dress, accompanied by agricultural and fishing implements. These decorative elements reflect the region's dependence on agriculture, fishing and maritime commerce. Beneath the title is a dedication by Johannes Meyer to Joachim Danckwerth and Augustus Luth.

The map bears the date 1648, referring to Meyer's original cartographic work, although this particular impression was published in Amsterdam in 1664.

Johannes Meyer, also known as Johannes Mejer, was one of the most important regional cartographers of seventeenth-century northern Germany. Born in Husum, he devoted much of his career to systematically surveying Schleswig and Holstein. His maps are particularly valued for their remarkable topographical precision and their detailed documentation of the historical coastal landscape.

Meyer's surveys were incorporated into Caspar Danckwerth's Newe Landesbeschreibung der zwey Hertzogthümer Schleswich und Holstein, published in 1652. Joan Blaeu subsequently acquired and published many of these maps in his celebrated atlases, bringing Meyer's cartographic achievements to an international audience.

This finely engraved map is an outstanding example of seventeenth-century regional cartography and an important historical document for studying the changing North Sea coastline.

The Blaeus: Willem Janszoon, Cornelis & Joan

Willem Jansz. Blaeu and his son Joan Blaeu are the seventeenth century's most widely known cartographic publishers.

Willem Jansz. (also written Guilielmus Janssonius) = Willem Janszoon Blaeu was born in Uitgeest (Netherlands), near Alkmaar, in 1571. He studied mathematics under Tycho Brahe and learned the theory and practice of astronomical observations and the art of instrument- and globe-making.

In 1596, he came to Amsterdam, where he settled down as a globe-, instrument- and mapmaker. He published his first cartographic work (a globe) in 1599 and probably published his first printed map (a map of the Netherlands) in 1604. He specialised in maritime cartography, published the first edition of the pilot guide Het Licht der Zeevaert in 1608, and was appointed Hydrographer of the V.O.C. (United East India Company) in 1633. After publishing books, wall maps, globes, charts and pilot guides for thirty years, he brought out his first atlas, Atlas Appendix (1630). This was the beginning of the great tradition of atlas-making by the Blaeus.

In 1618, another mapmaker, bookseller and publisher, Johannes Janssonius, established himself in Amsterdam next door to Blaeu's shop. No wonder these two neighbours began accusing each other of copying and stealing their information and became fierce competitors who did not have a good word to say about each other. In about 1621 Willem Jansz. decided to end the confusion between his name and his competitor's and assumed his grandfather's nickname, 'blauwe Willem' ('blue Willem'), as the family name; after that, he called himself Willem Jansz. Blaeu.

Willem Janszoon Blaeu died in 1638, leaving his prospering business to his sons, Cornelis and Joan. We only know that Cornelis's name occurs in the prefaces of books and atlases until c. 1645.

Joan Blaeu, born in Amsterdam in 1596, became a partner in his father's book trade and printing business. 1638, he was appointed his father's successor in the Hydrographic Office of the V.O.C. His efforts culminated in the magnificent Atlas Major and the town books of the Netherlands and Italy – works unsurpassed in history and modern times, giving eternal fame to the name of the Blaeu's.

A fire ruined the business on February 23, 1672, and one year later, Dr. Joan Blaeu died. The fire and the director's passing caused the complete sale of the Blaeu House's stock. Five public auctions dispersed the remaining books, atlases, copperplates, globes, etc., among many other map dealers and publishers in Amsterdam. The majority was acquired by several booksellers acting in partnership.

In the succeeding years, the remaining printing department remained in the hands of the Blaeu family until 1695, when the printing house's inventory was sold at a public auction. That meant the end of the Blaeu family as a printing house of world renown.