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Willem Janszoon Blaeu founded one of history's greatest cartographic publishing firms in 1599. Using skills learned from Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Blaeu started his business in Amsterdam as a globe and scientific instrument maker. He quickly expanded the business to include maps, charts and book publishing. Known for his accuracy and artistry, the mapmaker used a multitude of colors. Blaeu died in 1638 and left the shop to his two sons, Joan and Cornelis. The sons continued to expand the business and, after the death of Cornelis in 1644, Joan kept the business going. He too became known as a highly-skilled mapmaker. He completed one of his father’s projects with the sixth volume of the Atlas Novus, in 1655. He immediately started on an even more lavish project of 12 volumes, which was published in 1662--the most expensive printed book of its time. The map you will piece together is a dual hemisphere map, published in 1665, and lives up to the reputation of one of the finest cartography houses of the 17th century. This 3000 piece puzzle is 32” x 48” when finished.
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