Map of the West Indies, or the Caribbean Islands

Artist or Author: Hendrick Doncker

Work: De Zee-Atlas ofte Water-Waereld, vertoonede alle de Zee Kusten van het bekende deel des Aerd-Bodems, Met een generale beschrijvinge van dien

Date of Publication: 1670

Style: doncker

Paper Size: ~20 1/4" by 22 1/2"

Condition: The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There is minor separation from the reinforcement. The maps from this atlas were laid to supporting paper, some have been expertly remargined. Some maps may exhibit marginal dampstaining or soiling. There may be occasional tears supported by the backing, minor offset, or faint toning typical to atlases of the age. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Description of the work: This originally hand-colored engraved map is from Hendrick Doncker's De Zee-Atlas ofte Water-Waereld, vertoonede alle de Zee Kusten van het bekende deel des Aerd-Bodems, Met een generale beschrijvinge van dien. Seer dienstigh vooralle Schippers en Stuurlieden; mitsgaders Kooplieden om op't Kantoor gebruykt te werden Nieuwe Amsterdam. The work was published in Amsterdam by Hendrick Doncker in c1670 (frontispiece dated 1659) (Koeman's Don 12B).

The Dutch sea atlas was an important maritime atlas of the later 17th century helping to aid in long distance trade. Maps from this atlas were intended for commercial use by merchants, shipmasters, and pilots interested in coastal geography, especially regions where the Dutch of the time would have traded.

Hendrick Doncker (1626-1699) was a Dutch cartographer, bookseller, publisher, and maker of navigational tools. His maps were widely copied. He was known to take old and inaccurate maps to improve and publish. His son, Hendrick Doncker II, was also a cartographer and engraver. Doncker's maps were prized for their practical application and attention to detail as well as incorporating rhumb lines, compass roses, and scale bars.

Provenance: Ownership inscription "J.G. Nörbye | d. 20 - 12 - 92 " to front pastedown