Joannes Janssonius, 1646

Mona Insula vulgo The Isse [sic Isle] of Man
with Mona Insula vulgo Anglesey + Isle of Wight on one page

Sheet Size: 240mm x 415mm 1:245,000

Copied from Speed - less carefully than Blaeu

Jan Jansson married the daughter of Jodocus Hondius, and in 1638 on the death of his brother-in-law, Henricus, he took over the business; thus becoming the successor to the great Gerard Mercator (1512-94). Mercator's atlas, first published by his son Rumold in 1595, contained sixteen maps relating to the British Isles. The IoM did not appear as a separate plate until the publication of Novus Atlas in 1646. The volume containing the British Isles shows signs of rushed production; probably in an attempt to get it ready before the publication of the 1645 edition of Blaeu's atlas. Jansson's atlas eventually extended to eleven volumes. After Jansson's death in 1664 the business was carried on by his son-in-law, Joanes van Waesberghe, (d. 1681). He published an Atlas Contractus, which contained some county maps, but omitted IoM (Chubb no. LXXVIII).

In 1694 the plates of Jansson's British maps were bought at auction by Gerard Valk (c. 1650-1720) and Pieter Schenk (1645-1715) of Amsterdam, and loose impressions were sold. Sheets in the original state from old stock were incorporated in an atlas published by Karel Allard (1648-1706) of Amsterdam in about 1705. It is possible that some sheets were included in later atlases published by David Mortier and Joseph Smith in London.

Jan Jansson was not related to Willem Janzoon Blaeu, who used the form'Guiliemus Janssonius' prior to 1619.

Vol 4 of Jansson's atlas of the world (1,2 3 dated 1647) consists of 58 coloured maps beautifully engraved and ornamented with cartouches bearing the titles and scales supported by symbolical figures. Most bear Jansson's imprint

References

Chubb LXX ; Skelton 34

Appeared in:

Map 47 in Joannis Janssonii Novus Atlas, sive Theatrum Orbis Terrarum : In quo Magna Britannia, seu Angliae & Scotiae nec non Hiberniae, Regna exhibentur, Tomus Quartus Amstelodami. Apud Joannem Janssonium Anno [1646]

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley, 2006