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Nice example of the Covens & Mortier edition of this large format map of Poland, Lithuania, the Ukraine and part of Russia, first published by Hubert Jaillot in Paris, in 1679.
One of the largest atlas maps of the late 17th Century to focus on Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.
Because of the size of the map, its accuracy and visual appeal, the map would have had a profound impact on European culture at the end of the 17th Century, as commercial success of the Jaillot and Covens & Mortier Atlases made this map one of the most widely viewed and easily accessible maps of Poland available to the public at the end of the 18th Century.
At the end of the 1670s, Alexis Hubert Jaillot began to create a set of 2 sheet maps of the regions of France and the World, which would first be issued in Atlas form circa 1680. Drawing primarily on the cartographic content created by Nicolas Sanson and Guillaume Sanson, Jaillot's atlas maps would become the largest format set of Atlas maps to be published in a commercial atlas in the 17th Century. Shortly after the initial publication, the maps would be copied by a number of mapmakers, including Pierre Mortier (and later Covens & Mortier) in Amsterdam, William Berry in London and Johann Hoffman in Nuremberg.
Both the Jaillot Atlas and the Mortier Atlas would become commercially successful and would become the forerunners to the works of other publishers, most notably Herman Moll and the Price-Senex atlases of the first part of the 18th Century, however none of these other ventures would achieve a similar level of success and widespread distribution.
Johannes Covens (1697-1774) was a Dutch geographic publisher based in Amsterdam. He is best known for his collaboration with fellow publisher Cornelis Mortier (1699-1783). Pierre Mortier the Elder (1661-1711) had obtained a privilege in 1690 to distribute the works of French geographers in the Netherlands. After his widow continued the business for several years, Cornelis took over in 1719.
In 1721, Mortier forged a partnership with Covens, who had recently married Cornelis’ sister. They published under the joint name of Covens & Mortier. In 1774, upon the death of his father, Johannes Covens II (1722-1794) took over his father’s share. In 1778, the company changed its name to J. Covens & Zoon, or J. Covens & son.
Covens II’s son, Cornelis (1764-1825), later inherited the business and brought Petrus Mortier IV back into the fold. Petrus was the great-grandson of Petrus Mortier I. From 1794, the business was called Mortier, Covens & Zoon, or Mortier, Covens, & Son.
The business specialized in publishing French geographers including Deslisle, Jaillot, and Sanson. They also published atlases, for example a 1725 reissue of Frederik de Wit’s Atlas Major and an atlas, with additions, from the works of Guillaume Delisle. There were also Covens & Mortier pocket atlases and town atlases. The company profited from acquiring plates from other geographers as well. For example, the purchased Pieter van der Aa’s plates in 1730. Finally, they also compiled a few maps in house. At their height, they had the largest collection of geographic prints ever assembled in Amsterdam.
Cornelis Mortier (1699-1783) was a Dutch publisher who specialized in geography. Cornelis’ father, Pierre Mortier the Elder (1661-1711), had obtained a privilege in 1690 to distribute the works of French geographers in the Netherlands. After his widow continued the business for several years, Cornelis took over in 1719.
In 1721, Mortier forged a partnership with Johannes Covens, who had recently married Cornelis’ sister. They published under the joint name of Covens & Mortier. Their firm was one of the largest and most successful in Dutch history and continued in business until the late-nineteenth century.
In 1774, upon the death of his father, Johannes Covens II (1722-1794) took over his father’s share. In 1778, the company changed its name to J. Covens & Zoon, or J. Covens & Son. Covens II’s son, Cornelis (1764-1825), later inherited the business and brought Petrus Mortier IV back into the fold. Petrus was the great-grandson of Petrus Mortier I. From 1794, the business was called Mortier, Covens & Zoon, or Mortier, Covens, & Son.
The business specialized in publishing French geographers including Deslisle, Jaillot, and Sanson. They also published atlases, for example a 1725 reissue of Frederik de Wit’s Atlas Major and an atlas, with additions, from the works of Guillaume Delisle. There were also Covens & Mortier pocket atlases and town atlases. The company profited from acquiring plates from other geographers as well. For example, the purchased Pieter van der Aa’s plates in 1730. Finally, they also compiled a few maps in house. At their height, they had the largest collection of geographic prints ever assembled in Amsterdam.
![[ Baltic Sea / Sweden / Poland / Rugen ] De Custen van Denemarcken en Sweden, van Valsterbon tot Schenkenes, als mede de cust vanten van Pomeren van't eylant Rugen tot Rygshooft . . .](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/99944.jpg)