Polus Antarcticus

• Main Author: Hondius, Hendrik, 1597-1651
• Other Authors: University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections Division.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: Latin; French
• Published: Hondius, Hendrik, 1597-1651 1639
• Subjects: Southern Hemisphere-Maps-Early works to 1800; Antarctica-Maps-Early works to 1800; Australia-Maps-Early Works to 1800.; South America-Maps-Early works to 1800; South Africa-Maps-Early works to 1800.; Pacific; South Pole; Antarc*; Antarctica; antarcticus; Antarctique*; Arctique*; South pole
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/maps/id/80

17th century Hand colored copper engraving. Full color. Relief shown pictorially. Polar projection. Prime meridian is Azores. Printed in cartouche in lower left: "Polus Antarcticus. Henricus Hondius excudit." Blank cartouche printed left of center, probably intended for a dedication. Printed next to islands in south Pacific: "Insulas esse a nova Guinea usq ad Fetum Magellanicum affirmat Hernandas Galega, qui ad eas explorandas missus fuit a Rege Hispaniae Anno 1576." Printed in what is now modern-day Australia at bottom: "T Landt van P. Nutys det 26 Ian 1627." Printed on verso is a description of the South Pole in French: "Description Du Pole Antarctique, Et des pays adjacens. Ayans cy dessus discoru du Pole Arctique & des pays qui sont…" Shows the southern tip of South America, southern tip of Africa, southern tip of Madagascar, the first outlines of Australia, and islands in the south Pacific that extend beyond the polar projection. Also shows islands in lower left next to the empty cartouche with the description that reads: "Insulas esse a nove Guinea u[illeg] ad Fretum Magellanicum affirmat Hernandus Galega qui as eas explorandas missus fuit a Rege Hispaniae Anno 1576". This refers to the discovery of islands lying to the east of New Guinea by the navigator Hernandas Gallego who was part of the expedition to the South Pacific led by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, a Spanish explorer. Hand colored illustrations surrounding the map include domestic scenes of native people in traditional costume performing daily activities as well as greeting European sailing ships. Scale: c.a. 1:29,000,000. First published by Henricus Hondius, and subsequently by Jansson, De Wit, Gerard Valk and Pieter Schenk in four varying states over a period of sixty years. Part of Mercator's "Atlantis Majoris," published in various editions, including Dutch, Latin, French, and German translations. This is an example of the first state of the map. The first state of "Polus Antarcticus" was included in the French edition of Volume III of "Atlantis Majoris" first published in 1639, with this edition re-published through 1644. Another French edition including the first state of the map was published in 1645, with this edition re-published through 1649. This map came from one of these editions. The first state lists Hendricus Hondius as the publisher in the title cartouche, with a blank decorative cartouche probably intended for a dedication. The second state was not published in French, and lists Ioannes Iansonnius as the publisher in the title cartouche. The third and fourth states also list Ioannes Iansonnius as publisher but omit the blank cartouche, and include several discoveries not present on the first or second states of the map.