The Atlas Blaeu-Van der Hem of the Austrian National Library.

8 vol., large folio (58 x 44 cm): lithographed and printed, in 4 times, on Mellotext Natural White (mint condition).

Bound by hand in original vellum, with gilt-stamped ornaments and all edges gilt, in the same manner as the 17th-c. original Blaeu bindings.

The splendid facsimile edition, 11 parts (XXXV-XLVI) bound in 8 vol., relating to Africa, America and Asia of one of the largest and finest atlases ever assembled: the 46-volume Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem, now housed in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. The colouring was done by the best Dutch colourist in the 17th c.: Dirk Jansz van Santen. The original owner of the atlas, Laurens van der Hem (1621-1678), augmented Joan Blaeu's "Atlas Maior" (Amsterdam, 1660-1663) with maps, views, and drawings of his own choice, including four volumes of manuscript maps of Africa and Asia, the so-called Secret Atlas, made for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Uncomparable to any other facsimile concerning details and quality of printing and binding, in a limited edition of 100 copies. The 8 vol. include nearly 500 views, maps, charts and drawings, printed in 4 times (colour, gold, verso, and number), on paper chosen to resemble 17th-c. paper. A splendid series of books that combines the best of 17th- and 21st-c. bookmaking! Since 2003 is the original atlas listed in UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register.
Ref. van der Krogt, P.; de Groot, E. - The Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem of the Austrian National Library. An illustrated and annotated catalogue ('t Goy-Houten, Hes & de Graaf, 1996-2008), 6 vol. - E. de Groot - The world of a seventeenth-century collector, The Atlas Blaeu-Van der Hem (Id., 2006). - K. van der Horst (ed.) - The Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem [...]. The history of the Atlas and the making of the facsimile (Id., 2011).