|
|
| The first edition of the great Gerhard Mercator's atlas, published in 1595, did not include a map of the Americas. It was left to his son, Rumold and grandson, Michael, to publish the final edition of the atlas and to include this beautifully engraved map of America. One of the pivotal atlas maps of the continent, the plate was acquired by Jodocus Hondius in 1606 and was printed until 1633. It shows many of the early misconceptions including a large Canadian lake, a vast southern continent and two of the four islands which Mercator believed made up the Arctic. One of the most visually appealing features of this map is its attractive and unusual floral design, which places the Mercator map among the most decorative of the New World. |
