MAP, Southern Scotland, Blaeu

Southern Scotland. Johannes Blaeu, Annandiae Praefectura, Vulgo the Stewartrie of Annandail, from Atlas Nuevo de los Reynos de Escosia e Yrlanda, 1657 (circa). Hand Color. This finely engraved map depicts the region of Annandale, centered on the city of Annan, just north of the Solway Firth. The map, based on the work of Timothy Pont, famous surveyor of Scotland in the late sixteenth century, includes great detail of the rivers, cities, villages, and castles. It is adorned with an elaborate title cartouche illustrated with regional figures and a scale of miles cartouche decorated with putti. Spanish text on verso, published between 1657-62.

Publication of Bleau’s atlas of Scotland and Ireland (Atlas Novus, Volume V) in 1654 was a landmark publication in cartographic history. Most of the maps were based on the surveys of Timothy Pont, which had been done half a century earlier. The publication took over seven decades to bring to publication; it was delayed by wars, copyright restrictions, and only intermittent official support. The maps are scarce today due to the relatively short publication history of the atlas.
Dimensions: 16.6 x 20 in
Condition Report: A crisp impression with contemporary color on a lightly toned sheet with a large Atlas watermark. There is light staining mostly in the side margins. Grade: B+