Hereditas Antikvárium

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16. Könyvárverés

Antwerpen, 1606.
The first state of Jodocus Hondius’ influential copperplate map of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and North Florida. Cartographically, it combined two important maps of his time, John White’s Virginia and Jacques Le Moyne’s Florida (both published by Theodor de Bry), in a work that served as the basis for regional depictions of the area for nearly 70 years (until the Ogilby-Moxon version). Perhaps the most striking details taken from Le Moyne’s map are the “Apalatcy” mountain range, which – according to the accompanying note – is rich in gold and silver, and the lake there, fed by a huge waterfall, which appears only on these two maps. It has been suggested that its depiction may have been based on native legends about Niagara Falls. When comparing the sheets, the differences are more striking, namely the significant modification of the location of the May River, the “Lacus Aquae Dulcis”, and the third mysterious lake, Sarrope. Hondius followed White’s map more closely, although the horizontal projection of the area was distorted, so that Carolina was much further to the east, which must have caused many headaches for the navigators of the time. The engraver decorated the map field with numerous illustrations, but in addition to the commonly used ships, fish, sea monsters, and the undoubtedly beautifully crafted compass rose, he also presents the native animals, customs and clothes typical of the region. The title field, located in an unknown part of the mainland, shows in its strapwork cartouche – like an inset – a native Florida village on the left and a settlement typical of Virginia on the right. Our lot is one of the exceptionally rare first prints, distributed as a separate sheet or as part of composite atlases prior to the publication of Mercator-Hondius’ “Atlas Sive Cosmographie”, with a blank verso.
Dimensions: 345 x 485 (400 x 525) mm. Fine, clear copy.
Burden: 151., van der Krogt I.: 9400:1A., Koeman II.: Me 141.