WORLD by Visscher C.J. 1652
In 1637 Claes Jansz Visscher published a map of the world on Mercator's projection, which in the layout is similar to the maps published earlier by Blaeu and Van den Keere. The title in capitals runs along the top edge of the map image. The two polar hemispheres are placed in the bottom corners of a large hypothetical Southland interrupted in the most southern portion of South America and near New guinea. Visscher's imprint is to the left of the southern hemisphere. The interior of North America is occupied by a large oval cartouche containing twelve lines of Latin text about the discovery of America. The legend refers to the discoveries by Columbus and Vespucci (erroneously dated 1592 and 1599) and to the travels by Drake, Cavendish, Van Noort, Sebald de Weert, Joris van Spilbergen and Jacob le Maire. In the northeast, Davis Strait passes into a large frozen sea (Mare Congelatum) linked to Hudson Bay. Here a legend refers to Henry Hudson, but toponyms also relate to other English explorations, such as the one undertaken by Thomas Button. The course of the St. Lawrence River is extended far to the west. Surprisingly, the engraver did not go to the trouble of enlarging the coasts of Spitsbergen using more recent Dutch knowledge. Four magnificently decorated borders frame the map. Allegorical figures of the four continents appear in the four corners. On the top and bottom borders are twelve Roman emperors on horseback. On the side borders, town views of Rome, Amsterdam, Jerusalem, Tunis, Mexico, Havana, Pernambuco in Brazil, and San Salvador, alternated with costumed figures. According to Shirley, the engraver could be Pieter Goos, who engraved the companion hemispherical world map a year earlier. The same error, attributing the discovery of America to the years 1592/1599, is repeated.
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.
Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula.
Item Number: 27701 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > World and Polar
Old, antique world map on Mercator's projection, by Claes Jansz Visscher.
Date of the first edition: 1637
Date of this map: 1652
Seventh state.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Size (not including margins): 45 x 56.5cm (17.6 x 21.9 inches)
Verso: Blank
Condition: Hand coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: A+
References: Shirley (World), #350; Schilder 6, 8.7; Wagner, #370; Clancy, p. 74 Map 6.1
Separate publication.
In 1637 Claes Jansz Visscher published a map of the world on Mercator's projection, which in the layout is similar to the maps published earlier by Blaeu and Van den Keere. The title in capitals runs along the top edge of the map image. The two polar hemispheres are placed in the bottom corners of a large hypothetical Southland interrupted in the most southern portion of South America and near New guinea. Visscher's imprint is to the left of the southern hemisphere. The interior of North America is occupied by a large oval cartouche containing twelve lines of Latin text about the discovery of America. The legend refers to the discoveries by Columbus and Vespucci (erroneously dated 1592 and 1599) and to the travels by Drake, Cavendish, Van Noort, Sebald de Weert, Joris van Spilbergen and Jacob le Maire. In the northeast, Davis Strait passes into a large frozen sea (Mare Congelatum) linked to Hudson Bay. Here a legend refers to Henry Hudson, but toponyms also relate to other English explorations, such as the one undertaken by Thomas Button. The course of the St. Lawrence River is extended far to the west. Surprisingly, the engraver did not go to the trouble of enlarging the coasts of Spitsbergen using more recent Dutch knowledge. Four magnificently decorated borders frame the map. Allegorical figures of the four continents appear in the four corners. On the top and bottom borders are twelve Roman emperors on horseback. On the side borders, town views of Rome, Amsterdam, Jerusalem, Tunis, Mexico, Havana, Pernambuco in Brazil, and San Salvador, alternated with costumed figures. According to Shirley, the engraver could be Pieter Goos, who engraved the companion hemispherical world map a year earlier. The same error, attributing the discovery of America to the years 1592/1599, is repeated.
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.