America Septentrionalis

This influential Dutch Golden Age map of North America, first issued by Henricus Hondius in 1636, did more to spread the Island of California myth than any other map before it. The Hondius firm's reputation and publishing might disseminated the geographical error all over Europe, leading to almost a century of incorrect maps.

The geography and the naming of California and the American west employed on this map is derived almost entirely from Henry Briggs, the maker of the first English map to show the Island of California. Elsewhere, Hondius bases his geography on a wide variety of sources, including John Smith's famous map of Virginia and Champlain's maps of Canada.

A large title cartouche depicts a group of Native Americans in colourful attire, while the map itself is embellished with miniature illustrations of animals, ships, and sea monsters.

German edition with descriptive text on the verso. Original hand-colour. [AMER2435]