"[Oceani Occidentalis Seu Terre Nove Tabula]", Waldseemuller/Fries

This is Larent Fries' slightly reduced, and more decorative, version of Waldseemuler's landmark map covering the Atlantic coastline of the Americas. It is one of the earliest maps available to collectors of American maps. Waldseemuler's map is often referred to as the Admiral Map because Waldseemuller attributed his source of information on the New World to 'the Admiral' referring to Columbus. The geography follows that of the 1513 Waldseemuller and delineates the Atlantic from latitudes 35° south to 55° north, with a surprisingly accurate depiction of the American coastline. Fries added the Spanish flag flying over Cuba (named Isabella after the Queen of Spain) and a text block beneath Hispaniola describes the island and Christopher Columbus' discoveries in 1492. He also added graphic depictions of cannibals and a fierce-looking opossum, both of which had been reported by Amerigo Vespucci. He retained the two famous lines of Latin text from the 1513 edition, which reads, "Hec terra cum adiacentib insulis inuenta est per Columbu ianuensem ex mandato Regis Castelle" (this land with its adjacent islands was discovered by Columbus, sent by authority of the King of Castile). The first edition was published in 1522, this is the second edition with no title on the map face; the title is taken from the verso.

References: Burden #4; Mickwitz & Miekkavaara (Nordenskiold Vol. 2) #208-28.

Condition: A

Sharp impression and sturdy paper with a few worm holes and light spots in bottom margin. Hinge remnants on verso.