"Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio", Ortelius, Abraham

This is one of the most famous maps of America, and one that had enormous influence on the future cartography of the New World. Frans Hogenberg engraved this map, and it is primarily based on Gerard Mercator's great multi-sheet world map of 1569. In North America a lengthy St. Lawrence River reaches across the continent to nearly meet the fictitious, westward flowing Tiguas Rio. The strategically placed title cartouche hides the unknown South Pacific and therefore most of the conjectural great southern continent, which is shown attached to both New Guinea and Tierra del Fuego. This is from the third and final plate, as evidenced by the removal of the bulge of the southwestern coast of South America. Dutch text on verso.

References: Burden #64; Van den Broecke #11.

Condition: A

Watermarked paper with wide original margins, some faint text show through, and a few small printer's creases along the top neatline. There is minor foxing in the side blank margins away from the map image. Remnants of paper tape on verso.