Vallard Atlas on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Vallard Atlas is a world atlas, one of the Dieppe school of maps, produced in 1547. It is believed to have been owned by Nicolas Vallard, its authorship being unknown.
Image published by El Mundo newspaper on 15 October 2015
atlases 1547 books French travel books
The Vallard Atlas is a world atlas, one of the Dieppe school of maps, produced in 1547. It is believed to have been owned by Nicolas Vallard, its authorship being unknown.
History
It is considered one of the most notable 16th-century atlases of the Dieppe school of Cartography. It is believed that Nicholas Vallard was the first owner and this is why the publication bears his name The atlas is held at the Huntington Library based in San Marino, California, USA.Description
The atlas consists of 68 pages, and contains 15nautical charts
A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a sea area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land (topographic map), natural features of the seabed, details of the coa ...
with rich illustrations as well as a calendar and some in-depth maritime information.
The atlas contains numerous illuminations that show the New World’s inhabitants, and this is why it is considered a valuable testimony of discovery. The original publication is bound in crimson leather with golden decorations.
The maps depicted in the atlas are inverted compared to modern depictions, as the North Pole is placed on the bottom side of the atlas while the South Pole is placed on the top.
There is some speculation that like some other works of the Dieppe school of maps, the atlas may show the Australian coastline with its depiction of a continent labelled Jave la Grande, which would mean it was created before the documented discoveries of Willem Janszoon or James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
. However, most historians do not accept this theory, and the interpretation of this feature of the Vallard and other Dieppe maps is highly contentious.Gayle K. Brunelle, "Dieppe School", in David Buisseret (ed.), ''The Oxford Companion to World Exploration,'' New York, Oxford University Press, 2007, pp.237–238.
References
{{reflistExternal links
Image published by El Mundo newspaper on 15 October 2015
atlases 1547 books French travel books