RICHARD NICHOLSON OF CHESTER
A WORLD OF ANTIQUE MAPS AND PRINTS
A GUIDE TO COLLECTING MAPS
OF THE BRITISH ISLES
PIETER VAN DEN KEERE
A early 17th century mapmaker who produced a series of small maps often referred to as Miniature Speed Maps
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Frontispiece to Pieter van den Keere Atlas dated 1627
Atlas Frontispiece 1627
1593 onwards. Miniature county maps of England and Wales. Areas of Scotland and the provinces of Ireland.
Pieter was born in Ghent in the Netherlands in about 1571, the son of a type-founder. At the age of 13 he came to England as a Protestant refugee with his sister Colette. Three years later Colette married Jodocus Hondius and it was with guidance from him that Pieter probably acquired his skill as an engraver. The three of them left England in 1593 to settle in Amsterdam
In 1599 Pieter started working on the engraving of a series of miniature county maps for a British Isles Atlas. They appeared in an atlas published by W. Blaeu in 1617.
The plates were later acquired by the London publisher George Humble. He together with John Sudbury were the publishers of John Speeds Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. Humble's outstanding success with this folio atlas prompted him to publish Keere's maps in a new form. Out went the Latin titles and in came English titles. Further maps were produced so there was one of each county. The title page to the atlas says from a "farr Larger Voulome Done by John Speed". The maps are therefore often referred to as 'Miniature Speeds'. The only relation to the Speed maps is that the text used in the Speed atlas was also used in the Keere atlas. The two works were also in the hands of the same publishers and the publishing of a new edition of Speed's Theatre usually coincided with a new edition of the miniature atlas.
An interesting addition to a county map collection. Still reasonable in price for their age thanks to their popularity and number of editions.
AN ANTIQUE MAP OR PRINT MAKES THE PERFECT GIFT
RICHARD NICHOLSON of CHESTER
Stoneydale
Pepper Street
Christleton
Chester
CH3 7AG
Telephone
01244 336004
International
44 1244 336004
email: richard@antiquemapscom
I have been buying and selling antique maps since the early 1960's during which time I had a gallery in Watergate Street, Chester for 30 years. I am now able to offer through my websites a personal service to map and print collectors.