Cartographer’s Dream

N 0° — THE WHOLE EARTH

The Great World Maps

The masterpieces of seeing the world entire — Waldseemüller naming America, Mercator, Blaeu.

The Waldseemüller Map — Universalis Cosmographia, Martin Waldseemüller & Matthias Ringmann, 1507

1507

The Waldseemüller Map

America's birth certificate.

modified Ptolemaic
The Cantino Planisphere — Carta da navigar per le Isole novamente trovate, Anonymous Portuguese cartographer, 1502

1502

The Cantino Planisphere

A state secret, smuggled out of Portugal.

Typus Orbis Terrarum — Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Abraham Ortelius, 1570

1570

Typus Orbis Terrarum

The world map from the first modern atlas.

Mercator's World Map — Nova et Aucta Orbis Terrae Descriptio, Gerardus Mercator, 1569

1569

Mercator's World Map

The projection that let sailors steer a straight line.

Mercator
Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis — Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula, Willem & Joan Blaeu, 17th century

17th century

Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis

The Dutch Golden Age at its most magnificent.

double hemisphere
A New and Accurat Map of the World — A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World, John Speed, 1627

1627

A New and Accurat Map of the World

The great English world map, ringed with wonders.

double hemisphere
The Piri Reis Map — The Map of Piri Reis (surviving fragment), Piri Reis (Ottoman admiral), 1513

1513

The Piri Reis Map

An Ottoman admiral charts the New World.

The World in Figures — Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis geographica ac hydrographica tabula, Claes Janszoon Visscher, 1652

1652

The World in Figures

costumed figures down all four borders.

double hemisphere
Typus Orbis Terrarum — Typus Orbis Terrarum, Abraham Ortelius, 1595

1595

Typus Orbis Terrarum

the cloud-scroll border.

oval