Detail View: Touchton Map Library: Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum terris adjacentibus Translation - The American Islands in the North Sea, with adjacent countries

Accession Number: 
L2011.070.095
M Number: 
M169
Short Title: 
Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum terris adjacentibus Translation - The American Islands in the North Sea, with adjacent countries
Year: 
1634
Author: 
Blaeu
Place of Publication: 
Amsterdam
Pub Note: 
The map was originally issued as the upper left sheet of Blaeu's 4 sheet West Indische Pascaert, issued in 1630. There are only 2 known examples of the complete 4 sheet map.
Language: 
Latin
Geographical Description: 
On February 11, 1634, after acquiring a number of maps from the Hondius Family, Blaeu announced the publication of a world atlas in four languages. He was able to complete only the German edition in that year, and was not able to complete all of the maps which he had planned for the atlas. In order to get it ready in time Blaeu used shortcuts in several instances, utilizing portions of his most important separately published wall maps to fill the gaps in the atlas. While Blaeu planned to release an example of the Hessel Geritsz map of the Caribbean in his Novus Atlas, the copperplate had not been finished. So, for his map of the Caribbean and part of North America, Blaeu used the north western part of the copperplate of his West-Indische Paskaert, covering it on three sides (only on the left is a plate mark visible). Although cleverly disguising the fact by choosing the same left margin, providing a plate mark on one side only, and the Equator as his lower margin, he decapitates a native Indian depiction and slices the cartouche at the top. The title was printed in letterpress on paper and pasted into the remaining half of the cartouche. The inclusion of the map is a milestone in North American cartographic history, as it represents the first map to focus on the a portion of North America to utilize Mercator's Projection. Blaeu's map of the Atlantic is one of the few contemporary maps to depict the Dutch colonial activities in the New World. It is surmised that the West Indische Pascaert was never offered for general sale to the public, because it lacks a privilege, making this the first generally available example of the map. The map also represents a remarkable step forward in the mapping of the areas around New York and the Chesapeake, which Blaeu had substantially re-worked from earlier maps and charts. The New England Coastline follows the work of Blaeu's 68 cm globe of 1617.