With The Earliest Map to Show California as an Island Published by a Woman
Sixth edition (so styled on decorative title page) of Peter Heylyn's highly influential history of the world.
First published in 1652 by Henry Seile and later by his widow Anna Seile in 1663, "Cosmographie," expanded from Heylyn's earlier book "Microcosmus" into a large, detailed volume covering geography and history of America and other regions. The book, known for its detailed maps and geography lessons, was popular and used for education, including by government officials.
The work includes four folding maps of the continents, including a 1666 edition of Americae Nova descriptio, the western hemisphere with California shown as an island, here in Burden's state 3, with the date altered to 1666 and with Seile's name replaced by Philippi Chetwind. Tooley notes the 1652 first issue as "based on Speed's map of 1627, the only change in California being the insertion of the words Nova Albion in large type in the north of the island...."
The map appeared in later editions of Heylin's Cosmographie to 1682. However, following Seile's death, his widow Anne published her own editions. For these she used a further set of plates dated 1663. Clearly she did not inherit her husband's plates. - Burden.
As the map of America has been re-engraved by Robert Vaughan at the direction of Seile's widow Anna, it stands as the earliest map to show California as an Island published by a woman.
The other maps present are Chetwind's Europe, Africa and Asia.