Ortelius, Abraham - maps by one of the great 16th century cartographers, publisher of "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", regarded as the first modern atlas
Antique maps ● Antique prints ● Vintage maps ● Vintage prints
Search our webstore for old prints & old maps, town plans, city plans, wine maps, atlas maps, military maps and campaign plans, sea charts, star charts, travel maps and antique views. We sell only original historic maps & prints; we don't sell modern reproductions.
Ortelius, Abraham - maps by one of the great 16th century cartographers, publisher of "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", regarded as the first modern atlas
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was a Flemish cartographer and geographer, regarded as the publisher of the first modern atlas, although the word "atlas" was first used later by Mercator. In 1570 he published his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ("Theatre" of the Whole World), which contained the first systematically organised series of uniformly sized maps. It was reissued in 42 editions and 7 languages to 1612. He also produced a series of historical maps known as the Parergon Theatri (1579-1606). He is thought to be the first person to conceive that the continents were originally joined together before drifting to their present positions.