This atlas is the product of one of the first and great rivalries in the atlas world – the firms of Willem Blaeu and Jodocus Hondius/ Johannes Jansson. Abraham Ortelius produced the first uniform ‘atlas’ as we know it in 1570 under the title ‘Theatrum Orbis Terrarum’. Others followed namely Gerard De Jode and especially Gerard Mercator. The Mercator atlas was acquired by Jodocus Hondius in 1604 and expanded for the next 20 years and dominated the market. Blaeu had during this same period focused on sea atlas production with a handful of loose topographical maps. Then when Jodocus Hondius II (the son) died in 1629 Blaeu bought his stock of copper plates and used them to publish his ‘Appendix’ of 1630. To date only 8 examples survive. This work had only 60 maps and was a work still in progress. The following year 1631 he published a second expanded and more complete edition with 98 maps, offered here. There are only two records of examples at auction. That in Sotheby’s 23 April 1987 lacked one map and had quite a bit of damage. That in Sotheby’s 14 November 2002 lacked 9 maps and again had suffered damage.

This example is complete, in its first issue (there were two in 1631) and in pretty good condition considering its rarity and importance. The maps are nice dark impressions and many are of course in the early state with all four decorative borders. The bottom border was chopped off the copper plates of many for the fully developed ‘Novus Atlas’ of 1635. In this example that of the British Isles is found with all four borders present, it can be found in either form. Such is the case with the example in the British Library. Similarly their copy also bears the famous map of Lithuania bound in four separate sheets rather than folded in as a wall map where damage is then usually found. It was first engraved by Hessel Gerritsz and printed in 1613. The map is remarkable for its detail and is one of the most significant maps of the lands then forming Poland. This example is in the second state of five.

Both firms continued to compete and enlarge their atlases both called the ‘Novus Atlas’. The culmination of this was the ‘Atlas Major’ published in the 1660s by both but exemplified by Joan Blaeu who used the finest materials in his work which included nearly 600 maps. It was the preserve of the rich and powerful. Koeman I Bl 2; Schilder, Günter. (1993). ‘Monumenta Cartographica Neerlandica’ IV pp. 75-77 29.2; Schilder, Günter. (2000). ‘Monumenta Cartographica Neerlandica’ VI pp. 359-61 st.2; Shirley, British Library T.BLA-1b; Van der Krogt 2:022.