Theatrum orbis terrarum.

The "Theater of the World" is considered the first true atlas. It was the first collection of maps to present cartographic and geographic information in a systematic way, with the maps drawn to be published together and complemented by text. Covering the known world, it was the most authoritative and successful cartographic work of the sixteenth and early seventeeth centuries. Also of note is that Ortelius lists the cartographers and their maps on which his are based.

Contents (from individual maps): Typus orbis terrarum -- Americae sive novi orbis, nova descriptio -- Asiae nova descriptio -- Africae tabula nova -- Europae -- Angliae, Scotiae, et Hiberniae, sive, Britannicar insularum descriptio -- Regni Hispaniae post omnium editiones locupleissima descriptio -- Portugalliae -- Galliae regni potentiss. -- Regionis Biturigum ; Limaniae topographia -- Caletensium et Bononiensium ; Veromanduorum -- Galliae narbonensis ora marittima ; Sabaudiae, et Burgundiae -- Germania -- Descriptio Germaniae inferioris -- Gelriae, Cliviae, finitimorumque locorum verissima descriptio -- Brabantiae, Germaniae inferioris nobilissimae provinciae descriptio -- Flandria -- Zelandicarum insularum exactissima et nova descriptio -- Hollandiae antiquorum catthorum sedis nova descriptio -- Oostende West Vrieslandts beschryuinghe, utriusque Frisiorum regionis noviss. descriptio -- Daniae regni typus -- Thietmarsiae, Holsaticae regionis partis typus ; Prussiae descriptio -- Saxoniae, Misniae, Thuringiae -- Franciae orientalis (vulgo franckenlant) descriptio -- Monasteriensis et Osnaburgensis episcopatus descriptio -- Regni Bohemiae descriptio -- Silesiae typus -- Austriae ducatus chorographia -- Salisburgensis Iurisdictio -- Tipus Vindeliciae sive Vtriusque Bavariae -- Palatinatus Bavariae descriptio ; Wirtenbergensis ducatus vera descriptio -- Helvetiae descriptio -- Italiae novissima descriptio -- Ducatus Mediolanensis, finitimarumq[ue] regionu[m] descriptio -- Pedemontanae vici norumque regionum -- Larii Lacus Vulgo comensis descriptio ; Territorii Romani descriptio ; Fori Iulii, Vulgo Friu[o]li Typus -- Thusciae descriptio -- Regni Neapolitani verissima secundum antiquorum et recentiorum traditionem descriptio -- Insularum aliquot maris Mediterranei descriptio -- Cyprus insula ; Candia olim Creta -- Graeciae universale secundum hodiernum situm neoterica descriptio -- Schlavoniae, Croatiae, Carniae, Istriae, Bosniae, finitimarumque regionum nova descriptio -- Hungariae descriptio -- Transilvania -- Poloniae finitimarumque locorum descriptio -- Septentrionalium regionum descrip. -- Russiae, Moscoviae et Tartariae descriptio -- Tartariae sive Magni Chami regni typus -- Indiae orientalis, insularumque adiacientium typus -- Persici sive sophorum regni typus -- Turcici imperii descriptio -- Palestinae sive totius terrae promissionis nova descriptio -- Natoliae, auae olim Asia Minor descriptio ; Aegypti recentior descriptio ; Carthaginis celeberrimi sinus typus -- Barbariae et Biledulgerid nova descriptio.

Binding Details: Rubenstein Library copy 1: Nineteenth century half-binding of light brown paste paper and brown leather.

State 1C of the 1570 edition as outlined by Koeman: Includes epigram on verso of the frontispiece and 92 names in the Catlaogus auctorum.

Title from frontispiece title page.

Maps drawn by Ortelius and engraved by Frans Hogenburg and his assistants. Consult Koeman.

Imprint from colophon.

Maps are numbered 1-53, mounted on stubs at the fold, forming two conjugate leaves each (double plates); the recto of the first leaf with descriptive text and plate number, the verso of the second leaf always blank. The unnumbered sequences are letterpress printed on both sides.

Publisher precedes place of publication in colophon.

Signatures: A⁸ a-e⁶.

Relief shown pictorially.

Includes a description of the frontispiece by Adolf van Meetkercke; Ortelius's preface; a list of European cartographers, "Catalogus auctorum tabularum geographicarum;" an index of regions without their own maps, "Quoniam interdum plures regiones aut insulae in his Tabulis desscriptae sunt...; "De mona druidum insula," by Humphrey Llwyd; and another index, "Antiqua regionum, insularum, urbium, montium, promonotoriorum, sylvarum, pontium, marium, sinuum, Lacuum...Auctoribus quibus sic vacntur, adiectis."
Includes indexes.

Action note: Cataloged 20231006 by Lauren Reno https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7335-2854

Medium: paper
Color characteristics: monochrome

Scale: Scales differ.