PBA Galleries

Copper-engraved map, hand-colored  in outline & wash. 39x50 cm (15½x19½").

Blaeu's map of Virginia, which came out at around the same time as a nearly identical map by Jan Jansson. Burden remarks that "Cartographically it forms a marked improvement on the Jodocus Hondius map of 1606, from which this was largely derived. It also amply illustrates the direction that engraving styles had move, being more open and florid. The map depicts two nations' interests, both marked by their own coat of arms. The French claim, being largely present day Georgia, rests on the abortive colonial attempts of the 1560's. Blaeu makes no advance here in geography, following Hondius to the letter. The greatest improvement occurs in the northern half of the map north of Porto Royal. Whereas on the Hondius the coastline towards C. de Ste. Romano (present day Cape Fear) veered directly east, Blaeu more correctly takes it north-east, placing the cape closer to its true position of 34o...Chesapeake Bay was depicted as just a small bay on Hondius' map of 1606 as John Smith was yet to explore these waters. The Gerritsz terminated at this point, and only two placenames appeared. Blaeu draw largely on the Smith map for much of the nomenclature but introduces some English ones from an unknown source. The most important is Newport nesa, Newport News, founded in 1621 and apparently shown here for the first time on a printed map..." This is the second state of the map, with a tail on the cherub at the left of the scale. Burden 253.