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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