Hondius Family
1563-c.1650, Dutch engravers, cartographers, globe makers and chartmakers
Jodocus Hondius was one of the most influential engravers during the reign of Dutch supremacy in cartography. Hondius is best known for his work in association with many of the cartographers and publishers prominent at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century.
(Please see cross references to Jansson , Mercator , Van den Keere , Bertius , Speed )
Apprenticed at an early age as an instrument and and globe maker, the young Hondius, like many of his compatriots in Flanders and the Low Countries, in the period around the year 1584 had to flee from the religious persecution of that era. Settling in London for a time.
Whilst in London he came into contact with some of the leading scientists and geographers of the day, engraving and producing many maps with his sister's husband, Pieter van den Keere (Petrus Kaerius), which earned him an international reputation.
He eventually settled in Amsterdam around 1593, intent on establishing his name in one of the known World's most enlightened cities at the time.
In 1604 Hondius bought the plates of Mercator's Atlas at the auction of Gerard Jr.’s effects and added about 40 maps to Mercator's original number and from 1606 published enlarged editions in many languages, still under Mercator's name but with his own name as publisher, these atlases have now become known as the Mercator/Hondius series.
Jodocus also had the plates of the “Atlas ...” reduced at this time in order to publish them in the pocket “Atlas Minor” that first appeared in 1607. Cornelis Clasz and Johannes Janssonius of Arnhem (the elder Janssonius) were the publishers involved in this ‘miniature’ endeavour.
As busy as he was at this time, Jodocus also had the time to work on large projects for other publishers. One other large project of namely the engraving of the plates to John Speed's atlas, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain was carried out during the period 1605 to 1610.
Jodocus Hondius the Younger
After the death of Jodocus Hondius the Elder in 1611, work on the two atlases, folio and miniature, was carried on by his widow, Coletta van den Keere, and his sons, Jodocus II and Henricus, and eventually in conjunction with his son-in-law Jan Jansson. The business finally being run by Jansson.
As a postscript it is interesting to note that after this time Jodocus II set up his own premises and published a number of individual maps of his own as well as the Bertius atlas, “Tabularaum Geographicarum” in 1618. Jodocus II died in 1629 and his own stock of printing plates passed to Willem Jansz. Blaeu, a competitor of all the Hondius family, and these plates formed the backbone of the first terrestrial Blaeu atlases. From 1630 onwards Blaeu issued the “Atlas Appendix “and other atlases, which were a direct challenge to the Hondius activity at this time.
Image(s): 1. Engraving of Jodocus Hondius, 1619. 2. Leo Belgicus - map of the Low Countries (1611)
