1676 "AMERICA with those known parts in that unknowne worlde both people and manner of buildings Discribed and inlarged by I.S.Ano 1626"

A fine and rare example of its 4th (1676) state. Probably one of the most iconic maps of America ever made, it is surrounded by decorative vignettes illustrating indigenous peoples and cities of America. The vignettes on the sides depict the native costumes of Greenland, Virginia, Florida, Mexico, New England, Peru, Brazil, Mochan and Magellanica. The eight views across the top represent town plans for the largest cities in the New World. The inset depicts Greenland and Iceland. No sign of the Great Lakes. A number of sea monsters and sailing ships also decorate the map.This example was the first Atlas map to illustrate California as an Island and also accurately illustrate the East coast of Northern America.

By the time the map was published, it had been establised that California was a peninsula with political pressure brought by Spanish claims ensuring that many cartographers continued to describe it as an island long after the truth was known. While Hudson Bay is delineated, an interesting element regarding North America is the absence of the Great Lakes. Known major rivers are denoted, and all settlements, towns and future cities are named. Mountains are delineated rather conspicuously out of place, but perhaps in part depict knowledge of the existence of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians. Speed's rendering of South America depicts many interesting facts and fables.

Of interest is the mythical Lake Parima in Guina, long associated with English explorer Sir Water Raleigh and his search for El Dorado. The legend was based on Raleigh's reports of reaching a remote village where canoes of the indigenous peoples had arrived bearing gold, silver and other treasures. The natives claimed the source was a place called 'Manoa' and that it could be reached by following a long river southward to the great lake Parima. Based on this information Raleigh immediately came to the conclusion that Manoa, Parima and El Dorado were connected by a common thread. Thus, maps following Raleigh's discovery depict El Dorado and Lake Parima in this location for several hundred years.

South America is rendered in great detail, with the major river systems well drawn and the mountains along the western edge of the continent especially well drawn, and Straits of Magellan in place. The Arctic region near Iceland and Greenland depicts the theoretical islands if Frisland and Brasil, Frisland being a double mapping of Iceland and Brasil a phantom island of the North Atlantic just west of Ireland. Irish mythology claims the island is perpetually cloaked in mist aside from the one day every seven years when it is visible, but unreachable. It has appeared on maps since at least 1375.

John Speed (1551-1629) was the best known English mapmaker of that period. Speed came to map making late in life, producing his first maps in the 1590s and entering the trade in earnest when he was almost 60 years old. John Speed's fame, which continues to this day, lies with two atlases - The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (first published in 1612) and the Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World (1627). Whilst the Theatre....started as soley a County Atlas, it grew into an impressive world atlas with the inclusion of the Prospect in 1627. The plates for the atlas passed through many hands in the 17th century and the book finally reachsed its apotheosis in 1676 when it was published by Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, with a number of important maps added for the first time.

This example is in outstanding condition with central fold as issued, good clear margins and later hand colour. In the bottom margin, just right of the central fold is a small repair in the outer margin to cover an old library stamp.

Overall size including the margins approx 41.5cm x 53cm.