Waghenaer, Lucas Janszoon

Pars prima (-altera). Speculum nauticum super navigatione maris occidentalis confectum ... Spieghel der Zeevaerdt, vande navigatie der Westersche zee. Leiden: Franciscus Raphelengius for Luca Johannes Aurigarius, 1586



2 parts in one volume, folio (15 7/8 x 11 1/8 in.; 402 x 283 mm). Engraved allegorical frame around letterpress title of first part, woodcut architectural title frame around letterpress title of second part, 45 double-page engraved charts by Joannes and Baptista van Doetichum, 3 full-page engraved text illustrations of which one has a volvelle and pointer; lacking dedication leaf to Queen Elizabeth and the "Ad lectorem" as often, tear in upper inner margin of leaf C2 renewed with part of one letter "D" in excellent facsimile, unobtrusively washed. Eighteenth-century mottled calf, spine gilt; a remboîtage with modern gold-stamped title label on spine, a few scrapes and repairs.

Marvyn Carton (bookplate, sale Christie's NY, 5 December 2006, lot 221, ex H.P. Kraus catalogue 116, no. 278)

Koeman IV, Wag 5A; Phillips 3980 (lacking prelims); Scheepvaert Museum p. 44 (lacking one prelim)

First Latin edition of the earliest printed sea atlas. The two parts had first appeared in Dutch 1583-1584.

Waghenaer, after a long career at sea, became collector of maritime dues in his hometown of Enkhuizen in 1579. Losing this post in 1582, he commenced work on what was to become one of the most successful maritime books of its age. His was a pioneering synthesis of information from manuscript charts, rutters, ships' logs, all of which he systematized for the first time, illustrated with informative and beautiful engraved charts.

The demand for Waghenaer's charts, required translations for foreign pilots, and this Latin version was only the first, with translations into English, German, and French following. The atlas was so excellent that all other published charts of the coast of Europe were based on Waghenaer's work for at least a century, and all such later collections of sea charts were called after him "waghenaers" or "waggoners" in English and "chartiers" in French.