Hondius/Jansson America noviter delineata c.1665

19.8 x 14.8 inches This popular map of the Americas was emulated by numerous cartographers and went through numerous editions. Originally issued by Jodocus Hondius in 1618 with carte-a-figures borders, it was derived from two earlier maps by Blaeu. The North Pole depicts Frobisher's theory of the Northwest Passage and the South Pole shows the long-held notion of the mythical southern continent. North America retains the peninsular California and the East Coast is beginning to take shape, although it still lacks detail in the mid-Atlantic region. In the Southwest the famous seven cities of Cibola appear on the banks of a large lake. In South America, there is a large inland sea and two engraved scenes, one of which details a cannibalistic feast. Two stylized insets of the two polar regions are enclosed in strapwork cartouches. The map is richly ornamented with a strapwork title cartouche, fleets of ships and sea monsters. Shortly after Jodocus Hondius' death in 1629 the plated passed into the hands of his brother, Henricus. The borders were removed to facilitate the smaller format of the Atlas Novus that was published in partnership with his brother-in-law, Jan Jansson. This is state 5 with Jansson's imprint below the cartouche. French text on verso HONDIUS Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612) was a foremost map engraver of his day; he worked for many Dutch publishers, and was employed by the English map and print-sellers, Sudbury and Humble, to engrave the maps for John Speed’s The Theatre of The Empire of Great Britaine, published in 1612. In 1604, Hondius bought the copperplates of Mercator’s Atlas at the auction of Gerard Jr.’s effects. He added another forty maps, including new maps of the Continents and important regional maps of the Americas, before publishing a new edition of the Atlas, in 1606, in competition with Ortelius’ Theatrum. As many of the maps were more up-to-date, the Mercator-Hondius Atlas effectively superseded Ortelius’ Theatrum. On his death in 1612 his widow, Coletta Van Den Keere continued the business; from 1619 onwards their son Henry (II) (1597-1651) took over. From 1633 publication was carried on in co-operation with Jan Jansson Jr., Henry’s brother-in-law. JANSSON Jan Jansson Jr. (1588-1664) was the son of a bookseller and publisher who had worked with Jodocus Hondius Sr. He married Jodocus’ daughter Elisabeth in 1612. From about 1633 onwards, his imprint appears on the title pages of the Mercator-Hondius Atlas, in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Henry, as they re-issued their Atlas in competition with the Blaeus. At this time, many of the maps were re-drawn or replaced. Following Henry’s death, Jansson continued the business, expanding the Atlas into the Atlas Novus "... this was a magnificent work and would, at any other period, have been the highlight of a nation’s map production but for the work of the Blaeu family". (Jonathan Potter, Antique Maps, p.39). Jansson also issued a revised reprint of Braun and Hogenberg’s Civitates Orbis Terrarum, retaining many of the existing plates, but also adding a number of new ones. Other atlases that he published include Andreas Cellarius’ celestial atlas and George Hornius’ classical atlas. In the latter there are two maps of particular note - a seven sheet map of Palestine and the Peutinger table of Roman Roads. http://www.oldworldauctions.com/archives/detail/118-106.htm