The English edition of Jansson's map of southern Moscovia

JANSSON, Jan.

Moscoviæ Pars Australis. Auctore Isaaco Massa.
Oxford: Jan Jansson van Waesbergen, Moses Pitt & Stephan Swert, c.1680. Coloured. 420 x 540mm.

Ink mss. pagination bottom right.

A map of southern Russia, eastern Ukraine and the Sea of Azov after Isaac Massa. It was originally published by Jan Jansson in 1636 with a new, more decorative state issued in 1646. After Jansson's death the plates passed to his son-in-law, Jan Jansson van Waesbergen. He went into partnership with two English publishers, Pitt and Swart, to produce a twelve-volume 'English Atlas' to compete with Blaeu's. Between 1680 and 1683 four volumes of the atlas and the text for the fifth were printed in Oxford, but the mounting costs were too much. Production ceased and for a time Pitt was locked up in the Fleet Prison for debt, making this state of the map quite uncommon. The differences are van Waesbergen & Pitt's names as publishers and a grid engraved over the map.


Stock ID : 17423