Illustrated Map of Antarctic Region
ca. 1650
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This "Polus Antarcticus" atlas page shows the Antarctic region. It comes from a collection of materials that belonged to Arctic researcher and explorer A. Lincoln Washburn.
This version was published by Johannes Janssonius (also known as Jan Jansson), a noted Dutch cartographer and publisher, in Amsterdam. The original version of the map was published by Henricus Hondius in the 1630s. This later revision includes Tasmania (shown on the map as Ant. van Diem Landt) and New Zealand (shown on the map as Nova Zeeland), both of which had been discovered in the 1640s.
Because little was known about Antarctica when this map was published, the color drawings that decorate the edges of the page depict a variety native peoples and activities based upon known discoveries elsewhere. The drawings illustrate scenes of hunting, fishing, and boating, and depict a green (even tropical) landscape. They also provide an interesting look at some unusual native animals – penguins and "sea lions."
In the background of the illustration in the bottom right cover of the atlas page, natives can be seen hunting a penguin with a spear. A large penguin also stands next to a person in the foreground. Penguins, which are also found at the southern tips of South American and Africa, are pretty accurately depicted, although perhaps a little large. However, "sea lions," which must have been much less familiar to European publishers, appear as African lions frolicking in the shallow sea water rather than the flippered marine mammals that we are familiar with today.
This version was published by Johannes Janssonius (also known as Jan Jansson), a noted Dutch cartographer and publisher, in Amsterdam. The original version of the map was published by Henricus Hondius in the 1630s. This later revision includes Tasmania (shown on the map as Ant. van Diem Landt) and New Zealand (shown on the map as Nova Zeeland), both of which had been discovered in the 1640s.
Because little was known about Antarctica when this map was published, the color drawings that decorate the edges of the page depict a variety native peoples and activities based upon known discoveries elsewhere. The drawings illustrate scenes of hunting, fishing, and boating, and depict a green (even tropical) landscape. They also provide an interesting look at some unusual native animals – penguins and "sea lions."
In the background of the illustration in the bottom right cover of the atlas page, natives can be seen hunting a penguin with a spear. A large penguin also stands next to a person in the foreground. Penguins, which are also found at the southern tips of South American and Africa, are pretty accurately depicted, although perhaps a little large. However, "sea lions," which must have been much less familiar to European publishers, appear as African lions frolicking in the shallow sea water rather than the flippered marine mammals that we are familiar with today.
This primary source comes from the Collection XALW: Albert Lincoln Washburn Papers.
National Archives Identifier: 70187163
Full Citation: Illustrated Map of Antarctic Region; ca. 1650; A. Lincoln Washburn Maps and Papers, ca. 1935 - 1977; Collection XALW: Albert Lincoln Washburn Papers; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/map-antarctic-region, December 6, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
