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Georg Braun (1541-1622) and Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590) were co-publishers of the monumental Civitates Orbis Terrarum, “the earliest systematic city atlas” (Koeman), published from 1572 onwards.  Designed as a companion to Ortelius’ world atlas the Theatrum, this enormous work, which was expanded to six volumes by 1617 incorporating over 500 plans and views, must be viewed as one of the most ambitious book producing ventures of all time, and certainly, with Ortelius’ Theatrum and Blaeu’s Atlas Maior among the greatest achievements in the history of cartography.

Braun compiled the accompanying text, printed on the reverse of the engraved sheets, while the plans were engraved by Hogenberg, who had also prepared some of the maps for Ortelius’ Theatrum.  Hogenberg used generally up-to-date and accurate maps, surveys and reports from local sources to compile this collection of plans and bird’s-eye views of all the major towns of Europe, some African, Middle Eastern and Indian towns, and the New World cities of Mexico and Cusco.  One of the major contributors was Georg (or Joris) Hoefnagel, who supplied some 63 manuscript drawings, the vast majority from personal observation.

It is to Hogenberg’s credit that, despite the many different sources from which this vast collection of plans was assembled, he managed to create a sense of uniformity among the completed engravings.  While this has much to do with his own style, he also relied on a standard formula, inserting appropriate coats of arms and, in the foreground, attractive drawings of inhabitants of the region, in local costume.

Plans from the series may be found in colour, or black and white, but if in original colour this may frequently be heavily and rather unattractively applied.

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was one of the most important and prolific French cartographers of the mid-eighteenth century, in the service of the French Hydrographical Office.  He was appointed the first Ingenieur Hydrographe de la Marine, and also Official Hydrographer to the French King.

Bellin was responsible for an enormous output of charts and maps.  In a large folio format, he issued a volume of sea-charts of France, the Neptune Francois, and several sea-atlases of the World, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise.  These large charts were amongst the best of the period and continued being reissued throughout the second half of the eighteenth century.

In smaller format, he issued the Petit Atlas Maritime (1764),which contained 580 detailed charts, as well as maps to illustrate l’Abbe Prevost’s Histoire Generale des Voyages (1746-1757).  Bellin also produced a substantial number of important separately issued maps, particularly reflecting continuing discoveries and political events in the Americas.

His maps and charts were finely engraved and produced, and set a high standard of accuracy.

Emanuel Bowen (c.1693/1694-1767) was an English engraver, publisher and mapseller active in London between 1720 and 1767.  His prolific output as engraver and publisher earned him recognition both in England and France, for he held the dual appointment of Engraver to George II and to Louis XV of France.

Bowen engraved large numbers of maps for general atlases, geographical text-books and periodicals, particularly The Complete System of Geography, the Universal History of the World, the small-format periodical The General Magazine of Arts and Sciences and the Complete Atlas.

Bowen also produced a large number of English county maps.  His earliest known publication was a series of road maps of England and Wales, the Britannia Depicta, with a map of each county, produced in partnership with John Owen in 1720 (the Owen and Bowen maps).  This series was very popular, being frequently re-issued up to 1764 and was the most successful successor to John Ogilby’s renowned road book.

Perhaps the best and most important of Bowen’s maps were published in conjunction with Thomas Kitchin, in the rare Royal English Atlas and the Large English Atlas.  The maps in the Large English Atlas form one of the most impressive and attractive series of English county maps ever produced, being the largest scale and most detailed atlas of the counties yet published.  They are remarkable not only for the detail shown, but also their clarity, two attributes not often found together.  Every inch of the map surface is crammed with information regarding the area, its economy, inhabitants, interesting local attractions and so on, yet without overcrowding the map content.  Bowen maps typically feature elegant and artistic title cartouches of rococo or floral design, and often with vignette scenes of rural, urban or classical landscapes.

The origins of the miniature pocket atlas lie in Barent Langenes Caert Thresoor of 1598.  A large number of the 169 maps were engraved by Petrus Kaerius (Van Den Keere).  This small but attractive atlas was sold for the first time in 1599 by Cornelis Claesz in Amsterdam.  In 1600, Claesz published the atlas with a Latin text composed by Petrus Bertius; from then on, new editions, often enlarged with new maps, regularly appeared.  Petrus Bertius was born at Beveren, Flanders, in November 1565.    As a refugee, Bertius settled in Amsterdam and, after finishing his studies, he became a professor of mathematics and librarian at the University of Leiden.  In 1618 he also became cosmographer and historiographer to Louis XIII of France, and lived in Paris, where he died in October 1629.  His fame among geographers was established by his text in the pocket atlas Tabularum Geographicarum.

Rigobert Bonne (1727-1795), a prolific French cartographer, was active between about 1760 and 1788, working in the French Hydrographical Office, and appointed as Hydrographer to the French King.

Bonne prepared a large number of charts, some of which appeared in the Atlas Maritime.  Today, he is best known for the smaller maps that he prepared for Raynal’s Atlas de Toutes Les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre, published in 1780, and the Atlas Encyclopedique, published in conjunction with Nicholas Desmarest.  Although the maps are relatively plain, dispensing with the decorative embellishment of mid-century, they are detailed and provide good coverage of newly discovered regions.

Richard Blome (1641-1705) was an English publisher and bookseller who flourished from about 1670 to 1705.  He published two series of English county maps. The large series appeared in Blome’s Britannia, or a Geographical Description of the Kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland, with each map measuring approximately 300 x 250mm.  The smaller series, with the maps approximately 240 x 180mm, were published in Blome’s Speed’s Maps Epitomiz’d: or the Maps of the Counties of England.

On Blome’s death, the plates from the smaller atlas were purchased by Thomas Taylor, who revised the plates before reprinting them in his atlas England Exactly Described,  published from 1715 onwards. Still later, the plates were re- published by Thomas Bakewell.

Blome has traditionally been accused of plagiarism.  There can be no doubt that Blome’s maps were not original, but they filled a void in the market, between the large expensive atlases of Speed, Blaeu and Jansson, and the pocket-sized “miniature Speed” volume.

The maps themselves are charming and often attractive, many having decorative coats of arms, ships and sea monsters.  Dedications to local worthies and textual annotations add to the distinctive style of these uncommon maps.

Blome also issued a world atlas, the Geographical Description of the Four Parts of the World, in 1670, which was re-issued as the Cosmography and Geography, in 1682 and 1693. The maps from this atlas were Anglicized copies of Nicolas Sanson’s work.  Blome also issued a number of Bible maps, usually after Visscher.

“The finest Dutch map publishers were the Blaeu family, and they hold the title of mapmakers supreme for any period of cartographical history.” (R. Baynton-Williams, Investing in Maps).

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was the founder of the Blaeu publishing house and established the fine reputation of Blaeu maps.  His long-standing interest in mathematics and astronomy led him to Tycho Brahe in Denmark where he learned the art of globe-making.  On returning to the Netherlands, he set up a business in Amsterdam to make use of his new-found globe-making skills.  The business was to develop to incorporate its own printing press and Willem Janszoon Blaeu’s first publications included sea charts in Het Licht Der Zee-Vaert in 1608 and a revised issue of Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus Orbium Caelestium.

He published his first world atlas, the Atlantis Appendix in 1630, in association with his eldest son, Joan Blaeu (c.1599-1673).  The atlas was based around the printing plates acquired from Jodocus Hondius Jr.’s stock, who had himself published the later edition of Mercator’s Atlas.  The atlas contained some sixty maps.  This work was expanded in 1631 to contain 98 maps and bore the joint imprint of father and son with the title Appendix Theatri A.Ortelii Et Atlantis G. Mercatoris.  

In 1634 he commenced publication of the Theatrum or Novus Atlas.  This two-volume work was larger still with up to 208 maps.  This atlas, published in four separate editions in four different languages, was clear evidence of his ambitions.  The success of this atlas and plans for subsequent projects meant a premises move at this time.  Just one year later in 1638 Willem Janszoon Blaeu died and control of the business passed to his son, Joan.  

Joan “aimed at the full description of heaven, earth and water” (Koeman, Atlantes Neerlandici) and continually expanded the Novus Atlas in this quest.  The work grew to some nine to twelve folio volumes by c.1662 known as the Atlas Major, generally regarded as the pinnacle of atlas- publishing.  The Atlas Maior finally incorporated over 650 maps, often found in the loveliest contemporary colour.  

The Blaeu printing house was one of the largest in the world and Joan was assisted by his sons Willem, Pieter and Joan II.  Their endeavours insured Blaeu maps were, and still are, renowned for the consummate care and attention apparent in every stage of production - using only the best paper with finely engraved plates and a high standard of printing.