Atlas - Tabularum geographicorum contractum libri quinque. [with 148 maps]

Uncommon French text edition, published by Christoffle Goyot, in Leiden for Cornelis Claes.
The Caert-Thresoor of 1598 set a new standard for minor atlases. Scholars like Petrus Bertius and Jacobus Viverius edited the text. The small maps are extremely well engraved; they are neat and clear and elegantly cmposed.

Incomplete pocket atlas with 148 (of 175) maps, published by Petrus Bertius in Amsterdam early in the seventeenth century.
Printed title and introduction missing, replaced by manuscript text. 2 world maps and celestial chart are missing, pages disbound;
pp. 133-142; 113-126 (France 8 maps); pp.33-496 (Africa, America, Ireland, Span (3), pp.147-256, 17 maps, pp.291-496, 58 maps : France (2), Germany (9), Low Countries (15), Iceland, Scandinavia (3), Russia, Lithuania, Poland (4), Bohemia, Austria (3), Transylvania, Hungary, Balkans (2), Switzerland, Italy (22), Corsica, Greece (6). ASIA : pp.1 - 93 with 25 maps, complete.
AFRICA : pp.95-146 with 25 maps, complete.
AMERICA : p.146 -191 - 6 maps (Terceira, Cuba, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Hispaniola (3 maps), Potosi, Peru)
MAGELLAN : pp.193-202 - 3 maps, in very poor condition.

Bertius (1565-1629) was a Flemish cartographer, theologian, historian and geographer. Although he published much in the fields of mathematics, theology and history, he is perhaps best known as a cartographer. This example is from his Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum, and was heavily influenced by the earlier works of Mercator, from the late sixteenth century. He was connected, by marriage to Jacobus Hondius and Pieter van den Keere - both excellent cartographers, who would influence his later life. Bertius was 'Cosmographer' to the court of King Louis XIII.





Many of these maps are the first representation of a single country among them THE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER IMPORTANT MAP “NORWAY NO. 1”. Norway is shown as far north as Steigen. The map has French text on the back and above the map. According to Ginsberg there are five printings of the map only: This French text edition 1602, a Latin (with letterpress title page in the atlas dated 1602 and the titlepage 1603), further a 1609 French issue, one without any text above the map or on the back, (only one copy of this variant is known which is inserted in a German 1612 atlas edition),and the last 1649 Latin edition. The first four issues are classified as “State 1” and the 1649 “State 2”. Literature: W. B. Ginsberg “Maps and Mapping of Norway 1602 - 1855” Entry 1, Hoem no. 20 pages 42-45, W.B.Ginsberg “Printed Maps of Scandinavia 1482 - 1601“ Entry 44.

Reference: v.d.Krogt, Atlantes Neerlandici, volume, III A, 341:12.