285
The outward appearance of the atlas is as follows: the binding is probably of the
early 19th Century. Both volumes are cut off, by which the handwritten numbers on
the back of the pages are sometimes hit. All the maps are uncoloured. Apart from
the mark of the archives of the Topograph ical Service, the cover leaf of both volumes
bears the stamp K B Koninklijke Bibliotheek/Royal Library). There is no title
page, no date, nor index in any of the two volumes. The first volume opens with
the wellknown worldmap in two hemispheres.
Thanks to the kind permission of the Director of the Topographical (Service at
Delft, we were able to study the atlas in the Geographical Institute of the University
of Utrecht. So comparison with the Blaeu atlases of the Library of the University of
Utrecht was made possible. It goes far beyond the scope of this paper to deal with
the extensive investigations carried out for the analysis of the 'blank' atlas. This
analysis is mainly bibliographical, making use of J. Keuning's description of the
hisitory of the Blaeu atlas 18 and making use of the study of watermarks, paper
qualities and State of engraving. These investigations have been carried out by Mr J.
Harms, doctorate Student in geography at Utrecht, who intends to publish his study
in due time. The preliminary results however can be communicated now.
The most conspicuous aspects of the maps in the two volumes are:
1. One observes that at least four different kinds of paper have been used for the
printing of the engravings.
2. Comparison with other Blaeu atlases reveals that some of the maps are slightly
incomplete. Such maps occur in an improved State in the Atlas Major by Blaeu of
1662.
3. The maps cover the publishing period 1630-1664, as can be derived from J. Keu
ning's bibliographical list 19.
From 1 appears that the maps have not been printed in one edition. Most of the
maps are on thin paper and bear watermarks from the years before 1650. The other
part is on thick to very thick paper, bearing different watermarks. Based on the as
pects named above and realizing that there are no proofs that Blaeu permanently kept
a stock of his maps without text, we have made the preliminary conclusion that it
concerns here the intentional collecting of prints (some of them being proofs) to
serve as a record of map production.
It is not impossible that this record has been kept by a person who stood in close
relation to Blaeu. Düring the years 1630-1664 someone has separated these sheets in
Blaeu's printing office before the printing of the text. So one can not fix a date for
the publication of the two volumes and we are convinced that the maps have not been
collected to be issued as an atlas.
The total number of maps (250) is far less than the total number of maps included
in the Atlas Major (581, according to Keuning's list). Nevertheless a number of
maps which appeared for the first time in this Atlas Major, occur in our 'blank' atlas.
For instance some of the 15 maps and pictures of the buildings and instruments of
Tycho Brahe on the island Hven and some parts of the map 'Brasilia qua parte
paret Belgis', made for the book by C. Barlaeus on Brazil, Amsterdam, 1647, (these
maps are in their second State) 20. Not included in our two volumes are f.i. the maps
of the Atlas Sinensis (the sixth part of the Theatrum orbis terrarum, edited in 1655)
and the maps by the Danish cartographer Joh. Meyer on Sleeswijk and northern
18 J. Keuning, Blaeu's atlas (Imago Mundi XIV (1959), P- 74).
19 idem.
20 F. C. Wieder, Monumenta Cartographica, p. 72.
