Essays & Articles
Feb 22, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Nicolas de Fer (1646-1720)
French cartographer Nicolas de Fer was born in 1646 in the famous enclave of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France, where ear...
Feb 17, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Herman Moll (1654 – 1732)
A New Map of the Whole World with the Trade Winds (1736)
Herman Moll (1654–1732) stands as one of the most important...
Feb 11, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726)
Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726) is recognized as one of the most influential European cartographers of the early 18th...
Feb 10, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Johann Baptist Homann (1664 – 1724)
Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724) was one of the most influential of European cartographers in the late 17th and ear...
Jan 29, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville (1697 – 1782)
Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville (1697–1782) is one of the most significant figures in the history of European ca...
Jan 17, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Nicolaes Visscher I and his son Nicolaes Visscher II
Nicolaes Visscher I (1618–1679) and his son Nicolaes Visscher II (1649–1702) were two of the most renowned Dutch cart...
Jan 14, 2025
Map Maker Biography: Hartmann Schedel (1440 – 1514)
Although relatively few people are familiar with his name, Hartmann Schedel (1440–1514) was one of the most illustri...
Jun 13, 2024
The Selden Map: A Ming Dynasty Maritime Marvel
In 2008, a stunning map was found in the basement of one of the world’s most famous libraries, Oxford University’s B...
May 14, 2024
Juan de la Cosa and his World Chart
The focus of this essay is Juan de la Cosa and his magnificent World Chart, a chart which documented the discoveries...
Jan 31, 2024
Portolan Charts Part IV: Longevity of Genre
Portrait of a Chartmaker by Pietro Vesconti anno 1318
While there is no consensus regarding the origins of portola...
Dec 30, 2023
Portolan Charts Part III: Evolution of Portolans
The Dulcert Chart 1339
The theme of portolani is enormous and complex. In each of our blogs dedicated to this them...
Dec 20, 2023
Portolan Charts Part II: 14th Century Charts
Portolans have been a topic of scholarly controversy for decades. The predecessors of the charts is the theme of myri...