Full Description
An old map does not only represent a geographical situation; it also embodies a veritable journey of discovery through world history. In this book, historian Anne-Rieke van Schaik immerses herself in the many stories behind the fascinating maps, prints, atlases, globes and instruments belonging to the Phoebus Foundation's collection. These objects testify to glorious moments and dark interludes in the history of the Low Countries, from the never-ending battle against water and the Eighty Years War to colonial expansion and the struggle for Belgian independence.
Particular attention is paid to the Southern Netherlands, where pioneers like Gerard Mercator and Abraham Ortelius broke new ground in the sixteenth century. Their maps opened up new paths, both literally and figuratively. Not only were they innovative in their own time, but even today they continue to offer unique panoramas of the past.
With hundreds of beautiful images, Groundbreakers invites you to rediscover and redefine the horizons of your own world.
Contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
THE ART OF SURVEYING FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL
THE MANY FACES OF A CITY
ANTWERP AND THE URBAN CULTURE OF
THE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS
NEWS IN ABUNDANCE
NAVIGATING THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
FRESH OFF THE PRESS
CARTOGRAPHIC UPDATES FOR
THE BATTLE ON THE SCHELDT 1630s
UNITY AND DIVISION
THE LEO BELGICUS IN THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS
THROUGH OTHERS' EYES
ITALIANS IN THE SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS
FROM COURSE TO MAP
PILOT GUIDES AND SEA CHARTS
ON BOARD AND ASHORE
TERRA INCOGNITA?
NEW OCEANS,
NEW WORLDS
WORLDS OF DIFFERENCE
MAPS OF THE ANCIENT, MEDIEVAL
AND MODERN WORLD
BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST
WORLD ATLASES AND THE CREATION
OF THE ATLAS MAIOR
MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH
SCIENCE, INSTRUMENTS
AND THE COSMOS
INDEX OF NAMES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COLOPHON
