Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 - 1638)

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) studied under the prominent Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe and although he had interests in cartography and had undertaken the manufacture of globes, scientific and navigational instruments his main business was as a printer. However, it was through the efforts of his son Joan (Johannes) that the Blaeu printing press achieved fame by concentrating on the printing of maps and, with expansion, became the largest printing press in Europe in the 17th.Century.

Until the late 1620s the Mercator maps published by Jodocus Hondius II dominated the European market for world atlases but after the latter's death in 1629 the Blaeu press took the opportunity to publish a grand world atlas : Theatrum Orbis Terrarum or Atlas Novus. Through the contacts established by Joan's father Willem, the Blaeu business was ably supplied with cartographic and topographic information about particular countries and Joan maintained these contacts through active correspondence.

By the time of Willem's death in 1638 only two volumes had been published and, although several more were in preparation, progress was slow. However, by the 1660s the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (or Atlas Major as it had by now become known) had grown to between 9 and 12 volumes. Containing over 3,000 pages of text and around 600 maps it was, by the end of the 17th.Century, the most expensive book money could buy.

The translation of several volumes from Latin into Dutch, English, German, French and Spanish meant a huge work-load for what is estimated was a full-time work force of over 80 men (not including engravers who were employed elsewhere) operating over 15 presses in the Blaeu printing firm in Bloemgracht. In 1667 a second press was aquired at Gravenstraat and as well as producing the Atlas Major, Blaeu was also producing town plans, maps for globes and other publications until, at its peak, the Blaeu presses were producing over 1 million impressions from 1,000 copper plates within four years (Koeman, 1970).

The prosperity of Amsterdam and the Low Countries at this time served to further enhance Blaeu's career and from 1638 he became chief cartographer to the Dutch East India Comapany and between 1651 and 1672 he was a member of the Amsterdam City Council. He was also married with six children and had become an investor in the Dutch colonies in North America. However, events were about to occur which would cause an abrupt downturn in the Blaeu fortunes.

In 1672 a fire broke out in the main printing press with the result that thousands of sheets of paper and maps were destroyed together with copper plates which melted in the heat. The other press at Bloemgracht continued to operate but the losses were considerable and many of the surviving copper plates were sold, mainly to Pieter Mortier and Frederick de Wit.

When Joan Blaeu died in 1673 his son Joan Blaeu II took control of the company and the press continued to publish maps and other material but production declined until the business finally ceased at the beginning of the 18th.Century.

Finally, there is often confusion between the elder Blaeu and his rival Jan Jansson (Johannes Janssonius). Up until about 1619 Blaeu often signed his works Guilielmus Janssonius or Willems Jans Zoon but after that time he seems to have decided on Guilielmus or G. Blaeu