The first atlases and their publishers of the 16th–17th centuries.
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2026 5:52 pm
The image features postage stamps from the "First Atlases and Their Publishers of the 16th–17th Centuries" series, dedicated to historical cartography.
The issue commemorates the 450th anniversary of the publication of the first modern geographical atlas of the world (Theatrum Orbis Terrarum), published by Abraham Ortelius in Antwerp in 1570.
The sheet includes six different stamps, each featuring a portrait of the famous cartographer and a map fragment from his atlas. All maps are from the collection of the Allard Pierson Museum at the University of Amsterdam.
The sheet features six key figures from the "Golden Age" of Dutch cartography:
1. Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598) – compiler of the first modern atlas. He is identified in the text as the "father" of modern atlas cartography, having created the first atlas in 1570. 2. Gerard de Jode (1509–1591) — publisher of the atlas Speculum Orbis Terrarum.
3. Gerard Mercator (1512–1594) — the founder of modern cartography, whose name gave the term "atlas" as a type of book.
4. Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) — a successor to Mercator, who republished his atlases.
5. Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571–1638) — founder of the famous Blaeu dynasty of cartographers.
6. Johannes Janssonius (1588–1664) — a competitor of Blaeu, publisher of the multi-volume Atlas Novus. The main text on the page reads: "Antwerp cartographer and geographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) is the father of the atlas as we know it today. In the second half of the sixteenth century, he collected the best maps available at the time, redrew them or reduced them to a single format, provided descriptions of countries and places, and compiled them into a book. The first Latin edition was published in 1570; the first Dutch edition in 1571. About thirty more editions in various languages followed. This atlas became the basis for others to compile and publish their own atlases. It is noteworthy that north on the maps is not always at the top of the page. In the sixteenth century, this was not yet standardized; maps were placed on the page as favorably as possible. This results in amazing views."
On May 20, 1570, the first-ever geographical atlas, consisting of 53 large-format maps, was published in Antwerp by Christophe Plantin. Each map was accompanied by a detailed explanatory geographical text.
The author of the world's first modern cartographic collection was the Southern Dutch (Flemish) cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598). He compiled and developed the prototype of the modern atlas.
This publication, entitled "Theatrum orbis terrarum" (Latin for "Theatrical View of the Globe"), accurately reflected the state of geographical knowledge at the time. Despite a number of significant errors due to major gaps in geographical knowledge and the lack of accurate maps, this atlas became a kind of "geographical bible" for navigators of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was later reprinted numerous times and expanded with new information.
Ortelius, along with another famous Fleming, Gerardus Mercator, played a crucial role in the development of cartography. His world-first atlas was reprinted in many European countries during the author's lifetime, which, given the level of printing at the time, is a completely unique phenomenon.
Netherlands 2020; (1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0). Ms.
Source: https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2017/05/20/ ... skiy-atlas.
The issue commemorates the 450th anniversary of the publication of the first modern geographical atlas of the world (Theatrum Orbis Terrarum), published by Abraham Ortelius in Antwerp in 1570.
The sheet includes six different stamps, each featuring a portrait of the famous cartographer and a map fragment from his atlas. All maps are from the collection of the Allard Pierson Museum at the University of Amsterdam.
The sheet features six key figures from the "Golden Age" of Dutch cartography:
1. Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598) – compiler of the first modern atlas. He is identified in the text as the "father" of modern atlas cartography, having created the first atlas in 1570. 2. Gerard de Jode (1509–1591) — publisher of the atlas Speculum Orbis Terrarum.
3. Gerard Mercator (1512–1594) — the founder of modern cartography, whose name gave the term "atlas" as a type of book.
4. Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) — a successor to Mercator, who republished his atlases.
5. Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571–1638) — founder of the famous Blaeu dynasty of cartographers.
6. Johannes Janssonius (1588–1664) — a competitor of Blaeu, publisher of the multi-volume Atlas Novus. The main text on the page reads: "Antwerp cartographer and geographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) is the father of the atlas as we know it today. In the second half of the sixteenth century, he collected the best maps available at the time, redrew them or reduced them to a single format, provided descriptions of countries and places, and compiled them into a book. The first Latin edition was published in 1570; the first Dutch edition in 1571. About thirty more editions in various languages followed. This atlas became the basis for others to compile and publish their own atlases. It is noteworthy that north on the maps is not always at the top of the page. In the sixteenth century, this was not yet standardized; maps were placed on the page as favorably as possible. This results in amazing views."
On May 20, 1570, the first-ever geographical atlas, consisting of 53 large-format maps, was published in Antwerp by Christophe Plantin. Each map was accompanied by a detailed explanatory geographical text.
The author of the world's first modern cartographic collection was the Southern Dutch (Flemish) cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598). He compiled and developed the prototype of the modern atlas.
This publication, entitled "Theatrum orbis terrarum" (Latin for "Theatrical View of the Globe"), accurately reflected the state of geographical knowledge at the time. Despite a number of significant errors due to major gaps in geographical knowledge and the lack of accurate maps, this atlas became a kind of "geographical bible" for navigators of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was later reprinted numerous times and expanded with new information.
Ortelius, along with another famous Fleming, Gerardus Mercator, played a crucial role in the development of cartography. His world-first atlas was reprinted in many European countries during the author's lifetime, which, given the level of printing at the time, is a completely unique phenomenon.
Netherlands 2020; (1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0+1.0). Ms.
Source: https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2017/05/20/ ... skiy-atlas.