Hes & De Graaf Announce Facsimile Edition of Blaeu-Van Der Hem Great Atlas
- by Michael Stillman
Part of what is today the northeast coast of the U.S. from the Blaeu atlas.
By Michael Stillman
Hes and De Graaf Publishers of the Netherlands has announced a major publishing project, a facsimile on a grander scale than any we have previously seen. They are in the process of publishing an eight-volume facsimile of the non-European sections of the 1660-1663 Blaeu Atlas Major, as supplemented by the 17th century Amsterdam attorney and collector Laurens Van der Hem. This uniquely supplemented "grand atlas" includes four volumes of maps and manuscript notes created for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The original is held by the Austrian National Library in Vienna. Now offered is a spectacular facsimile of the sections pertaining to Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Only 100 copies will be printed, and each will be assembled and bound by hand to order.
The Blaeu "grand atlas" was the highpoint of the exceptional Dutch atlases of the 16th and 17th centuries, arguable the greatest atlas ever produced. The original, which includes several volumes on Europe, is lavishly illustrated with town views, images of buildings, natural scenery, etc., and is filled with maps and charts. The Hes and De Graaf facsimile does not include the European volumes, but instead contains the material Van der Hem added to his copy. Laurens Van der Hem added numerous maps, drawings, manuscripts, and text to his copy that he thought belonged. Most notable are four volumes of manuscript maps and views created for the Dutch East India Company (the "secret" atlas), normally reserved for use by officers of that institution. Van der Hem died in 1678, and his heirs sold his copy to Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1730. His heir and niece, Victoria, eventually sold the copy to the imperial library in Vienna, now the Austrian National Library.
Hes and De Graaf has used fine materials to recreate the appearance of the great atlas. The paper selected replicates the original used by Blaeu while being more suitable for folding of the large maps and designed for greater strength. The pages are bound by hand in vellum bindings with gilt ornaments and gilded edges. The aim is to recreate 17th century beauty and authenticity with 21st century durability. The latest techniques in reproduction are employed to provide the highest fidelity to the original plates and maps, including the color.
Along with the Blaeu atlas and VOC volumes, and Van der Hem's additions, there is a supplement providing detailed information about this facsimile edition. It includes not only details about the production of this edition, but information about Blaeu, Van der Hem, and a description of the varied material within the atlas.
The Blaeu-Van der Hem atlas has been registered on the UNESCO list of "the memory of the world" since 2004. That was also when preparation began for the creation of this facsimile edition of the American, African, and Asian volumes. A presentation of the new edition is scheduled for April at the University of Amsterdam, with another slated for Vienna in June.
The Blaeu-Van der Hem facsimile edition has been priced at €79,500 within the European community (VAT included) or €75,000 elsewhere (roughly $98,900 in US dollars). We suggest that those who might be interested in obtaining a copy of this magnificent work contact Hes and De Graaf at +31 (0)30 6380071 or info@hesdegraaf.com for additional information or to obtain a prospectus.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
