Marvelous map of Switzerland, showing the 13 Cantons, by Johann Baptiste Homann, the patriarch of the most prolific German cartographic publishing house of the 18th Century. The map is richly detailed, showing towns, rivers, lakes, mountains, political boundaries and other fine details. Excellent large title cartouche incorporates the coat of arms of the 13 cantgons, 20 other regional coats of arms and several interesting mountain scenes and a scene in a typical Swiss Home. Minor separation at the upper fold, but overall a very nice example.
Johann Baptist Homann (1663-1724) was a mapmaker who founded the famous Homann Heirs publishing company. He lived his entire life in Bavaria, particularly in Nuremberg. Initially, Johann trained to become a priest before converting to Protestantism and working as a notary.
In 1702, Johann founded a publishing house that specialized in engravings. The firm flourished, becoming the leading map publisher in Germany and an important entity in the European map market. In 1715, Johann was named Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI and made a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Most importantly for his business, his reputation and contacts gained him imperial printing privileges which protected his publications and recommended him to customers. Johann is best known for this Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt, or the Grand Atlas of the World, published in 1716.
After Johann died in 1724, the business passed to his son, Christoph (1703-1730). Upon Christoph’s early death, the company passed to subsequent heirs, with the name of the company changing to Homann Erben, or Homann Heirs. The firm continued in business until 1848.
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