Joan Blaeu, Cornwall, 1665

Beautiful and sought after example of Cornwall in the mid seventeenth century by Blaeu. The map is part of Blaeu’s renowned Atlas Maior, a comprehensive and highly esteemed atlas published in Amsterdam in the mid-17^th century during the pinnacle of the Dutch Golden Age of mapmaking.

The map shows the Cornish peninsula with early modern English spellings. It features towns, rolling hills, rivers, and the coastline, ornamented with decorative coats of arms, sailing vessels, and sea monsters. At top left are crests of various Cornwell worthies present and past. Along the top are the king and queen’s arms and those of Great Britain. The cartouche contains visual references to Cornwall’s fishing and mining industries. The map prominently details landmarks like Land’s End, Lizard Point, St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, and Plymouth.

Joan Blaeu, born in Amsterdam, 1596, became partner in his father Willem Janszoon Blaeu’s book trade and printing business. In 1638 he was appointed his father’s successor in the Hydrographic office of the V.O.C. (United East India Company). His efforts culminated in the magnificent Atlas Major and the town-books of the Netherlands and of Italy – works unsurpassed in history and in modern times, which gave eternal fame to the name of the Blaeu’s.

On February 23, 1672, a fire ruined the business. One year later, Dr. Joan Blaeu died. The fire of 1672 and the passing away of the director gave rise to a complete sale of the stock of the Blaeu House. Five public auctions dispersed the remaining books, atlases, copperplates, globes, etc., among many other map dealers and publishers in Amsterdam. The majority was acquired by a number of booksellers acting in partnership.

In the succeeding years, the remaining printing department was left in the hands of the Blaeu family until 1695 when also the inventory of the printing house was sold at a public auction. That meant the end of the Blaeu’s as a printing house of world renown.

Refs: Rumsey, 10017.296