Mercator's Arctic Map (Septentrionalium Terrarum Descriptio) 1595 (Flat Earth Map) Ready-to-Hang [Map] Kevin J. Diaz

Mercator's map of the Arctic region, by Adventure iDiaz, has been entirely remastered & digitally restored. The known existing copies of the map reveal severe folding marks, missing data, & faded hand-painted colors on the map. We have corrected the fading & digitally restored the color & grandeur of this unique map.

This ground-breaking map was published in 1595 by his son, Rumold, 1 year after Mercator’s death. His famous atlas, Atlantis Pars Altera, featured this first known & separate map of the North Polar Arctic region in the last of the three-part atlas. The map was modeled from an inset on Mercator’s 1569 world map.

The original map measures 14.50”×14.95”.

Gerard Mercator (1512-1594), was an eminent 16th-century geographer, cartographer, & cosmographer. He is most known for being the first to illustrate the world in what is now known as the Mercator Projection (1569); a view of the world presented as a cylindrical map that became a standard navigational projection. Gerard was a founding member of the Netherlandish School of Cartography & was the first cartographer to render the North Polar Arctic Region on a standalone map. Additionally, he is credited with coining the term “atlas”. Mercator’s income largely came from terrestrial & celestial globe sales, for which he was a notable craftsman. He received his education from the University of Leuven (then part of the Burgundian Netherlands, now part of Belgium), & procured his geographic knowledge from his vast library of over 1,000 maps & books. Unlike other colleagues & notable scholars of his time, he infrequently traveled. Mercator married Barbara Schellekens (1534-1586) & later Gertrude Vierlings & had six children: Arnold, Emerentia, Dorothes, Bartholomeus, Rumold, & Catharina.

Mercator's Arctic Map (Septentrionalium Terrarum Descriptio) measures 36”×36” and is a “must-have” for any FE enthusiast. Ready-to-Hang maps have rails at the top and the bottom to keep the map flat.