#ortelius

Monstrous Whales! Can you spot them?

The Typus Orbis Terrarum, “The Plan of the World’s Lands,” was the first world map to be published in a ‘modern’ standard atlas by Abraham Ortelius and engraved by Frans Hogenberg in 1570.  First published in Abraham Ortelius’s atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, it was one of the few maps included in the atlas that was created by Ortelius himself.

source: bishopsbox

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1571

“Second state of Oretlius' map of America. Ortelius map of America is without doubt one of the most recognized and influential maps of America from the 16th Century. The map first appeared in the 1570 edition of Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. This is a copy of the 2nd state, with the bulge in South America and the large ship in the Pacific sailing eastward, with the text on the verso indicating that it was issued in the 1571 Latin edition of Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Ortelius depicts the discoveries of a number of explorers, but the general shape of America is derived from Gerard Mercator's 21 sheet world map of 1569. The bulge in South America is the most notable feature of the map, which was not corrected until the 3rd state. The cartouche hides the lack of knoweldge in the south Pacific, although the massive Terra Australis Incognita is still very much in evidence, a myth not disspelled until Cook's second voyage. The West Coast of North America has a wildly inaccurate western projection.”

Note: I like to look at these early maps because they really show the unknown aspect of Canada and specifically the West and North