6. Rutgerus Hermannides 1661
The first cartographic work which
was solely devoted to maps of British towns appeared in 1661 and contained a general
map, a map of London and 30 town plans including that of Exeter. The map was by
Rutgerus Hermannides, Professor of History at
Harderwijk, and the volume was Britannia Magna published in
Amsterdam in that year.
Title: Exonia Excester
Size: 105 x 130 mm with no scale or signatures.
This map has the City
Arms (top left). It is a
near copy of Speed’s inset, or more
correctly of Merian, but without the
reference table or numbers, people or ships; the only lettering apart from the
title is Exe Fluvius.
The plate was
subsequently printed and
published in Pierre (Peter) van der Aa’s La galérie Agreeable du monde
in 1729 (see below). The plate was modified with the
addition of a decorative top border which includes a key to 7 sites (and other
places are named on the map) and then placed within a trompe l’oeil engraved frame
which doubled the dimensions of the print but retaining title as before. Additions
include the signature: A. Leide, Chez Pierre Vander Aa, Marhand, Libraire (below the map detail). This work also
included a map of the county of Devon (B&B Printed Maps 13.4) by Pieter van den Keere with a similar elaborate frame.
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