A very attractive map of Suabia or southern Germany by Nicolas Visscher. The Visscher’s were a family of engravers and publishers in Amsterdam. It was begun by Claes Jansz. Visscher (1587-1652). He began as an engraver of ornamental borders for maps and topographical scenes. He published an atlas of the Low Countries in 1634 entitled ‘Belgium Sive Germania Inferior’ and one late edition of Langenes in 1649 entitled ‘Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum’. One of Claes’ children, Nicolaas Visscher (1618-79), continued the family business. In about 1657 he published the first edition of the ‘Atlas Contractus’. These were largely composite in nature and were issued through about 1677. In 1664 he was admitted to the Bookseller’s Guild and the earliest privilege was granted in 1677. At about the same time he published and ‘Atlas Minor’.

The business was continued by Nicolaas Visscher II (1649-1702), who inherited the shop of his father upon his death in 1679. The following year he married Elizabeth Verseyl of Gouda. In 1682 he applied to the States of Holland and West Friesland for a patent for printing and publishing maps, it was granted the same year. He promptly printed a catalogue of his available maps. A comparison with his father’s earlier catalogue dating from no later than 1677 illustrates many new maps. One may speculate that these were largely at the hand of the son. From about 1683 he first published the ‘Atlas Minor’. In 1684 much of his grandfather’s and father’s maps were disposed of at auction. A second patent was granted in 1697. Following his death in 1702 his widow Elizabeth Verseyl continued the business successfully until her death in 1726. The shop then came into the possession of Andries de Leth but many of the plates ended up in the possession of Schenk family. Koeman (1967-70) III pp. 150-55.The dating of maps by the Visscher family is very hard but bearing the privilege granted in 1677 and by the style we can ascribe a date to approximately 1700. Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).