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| Andre Thevet, traveler, writer and map maker, considered himself an expert on the New World - despite only visiting the continent once for a very short stay in the environs of present day Rio de Janeiro. His expertise was such that he felt able to publish a work dedicated to the New World, which contained this highly idiosyncratic map of America. It is based on the geography of Gerard Mercator with the addition of a fanciful 'southern continent' filled with illustrations of the natives burning fires, hunting and chopping wood. The vast interior of the North American landmass is filled with forests, lightly interspersed with place names reflecting the discoveries of the earliest explorers. This is one of the most charming 16th Century views of the continent. |
