Orbis Terrae Compendiosa Descriptio [Reprint]

“In this century, the process of photographic reproduction permits the great pilots in the progress of human thought to be restored to a society that is constantly more avid for knowledge of the very fundamentals of its civilization.” – Herman Liebaers. This vintage reproduction offers an affordable approach to Rumold Mercator’s foundational world map, first published in Strabo’s Geography in 1587. The image was published by the Bibliothèque royale de Belgique in 1962 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the birth of Rumold’s father, Gerardus Mercator (who was born in Belgium). Accompanying text (in English) offers an informative biography of the influential cartographer, best known for the projection that carries his name. The work concludes with a list of the 107 maps that comprised the Mercator atlas that was first published by his descendants in 1595 and a reprinting of his well-known portrait.