The printed sea chart begins with Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer (c.1553-1606) who was one of many Dutchmen who sailed the trading waters from Holland as far afield as Spain and the Baltic Sea. The expanding trading activity of the Netherlands created a demand for more accurate charts of the coastlines. Waghenaer retired from the sea in 1579 at which point he was already engaged in cartography. In 1577 he produced a plan of the town of his home town of Enkuizen, West Frisia. He began production of a series of charts using the knowledge he had gained from sea-fairing. Part one of the ‘Spieghel der Zeevaerdt’ was printed at the recently founded Plantijn Press in Leiden and published to critical acclaim in December 1583. The task of engraving the plates was given to one of the finest engravers of the time, Joannes van Doetecum (d.1605). The work covered the coastline of western Europe from Amsterdam to Cadiz and the south and southeast coasts of England in 22 charts accompanied by a general chart of western Europe. It was a landmark in western European navigation. Tony Campbell states ‘When Waghenaer published his ‘Spieghel der Zeevaerdt’ in 1583-84, he was breaking new ground in several ways. Nobody before had combined in one volume the charts, coastal profiles and sailing directions that any captain not navigating entirely from memory, or luck, would have required’. A second part published in 1585 included the waters of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.His chief advocate at the time was Francois Maelson who in 1585 was sent as Ambassador to England. Koeman states that he took with him an example of the ‘Spieghel der Zeevaerdt’ which he showed to the Privy Council. With England facing threats from Spain, it elicited much interest. To meet the apparent demand from abroad a Latin translation was undertaken by Martin Everaert. All the plates had Latin titles added for use in the first Latin text edition. This chart centres on the Atlantic coast of France in and around La Rochelle. The Isle de Re and Oleron and concludes at the River Gironde including ‘Sinte Marij (Pauillac) on the west bank and Blaye on the east side. The extensive salt flats around Rochefort are clearly depicted. The original privilege granted to Waghenaer had by now expired and future publications were by Jean Bellere in Antwerp and Cornelis Claesz in Amsterdam. About this time, it appears that Claesz bought the ‘Spieghel’. This is an example of the fourth state according to Nalis with the addition of letters to the coastal profiles above. It appeared in the French edition by Jean Bellere entitled ‘Miroir De La Navigation’ published in 1590. Here he adds a French letterpress title above and below the plate translations of the coastal profiles.The chart is both functional and of great artistic merit. Depth soundings are provided throughout supported by tide tables in the work. A particular feature of note is the use of coastal profiles in depicting the coastlines. A feature utilised by the Portuguese cartographer Joao de Castro in a rutter of 1541. Along the coasts he highlighted features such as buildings which were useful landmarks. The chart is completed by an ornate compass rose, two large ships, a sea monster, and decorative cartouche. Sailing directions are printed on the verso in French along with a brief description of the products produced in the region. Provenance: Tooley Adams 2001; private Jersey collection. Campbell (1981); Nalis (1998) Part III; Koeman (1967-70) Wag 8A no. 9d, pp. 465-86; Schilder (2003) MCN VII pp. 47-75; Schilder & van Egmond (2007) 1392-96.