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Theatrum orbis terrarum. Historic map, Library of Congress

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Theatrum orbis terrarum. Historic map, Library of Congress

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Summary

Public domain scan of a page from geographical atlas, geography, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

The geography discoveries and the new printing techniques resulted in maps that can be cheaply produced. Since a globe remains the only accurate way of representing the spherical earth, and any flat representation resulted in distorted projection. In 1569, Mercator published a map of the world specifically intended as an aid to navigation. It used a projection now known by Mercator's name, though it has been used by few others before him, based on a system of latitude and longitude that dated back to Hipparchus. Mercator's projection greatly enlarged territories as they recede from the equator. The distortion of Mercator's projection is a benefit to navigators since Mercator achieves a matching scale for longitude and latitude in every section of the map. A compass course can be plotted at the same angle on any part of Mercator's map. As a result marine charts still use this projection. By the time of his death in 1595, Mercator has either published or prepared large engraved maps, designed for binding into volume form, of France, Germany, Italy, the Balkans, and the British Isles. Mercator's son issues the entire series under the title "Atlas": "Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes." The name becomes the word for a volume of maps.

date_range

Date

01/01/1570
person

Contributors

Ortelius, Abraham, 1527-1598.
Diesth, Aegid. Coppenius (Aegidius Coppenius).
Llwyd, Humphrey, 1527-1568.
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Source

Library of Congress
copyright

Copyright info

Public Domain

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