----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Two remarks to Yves Tessier's comment: 1. The statement that Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of 1570 is the "very first atlas" depends largely on the definition of an atlas. Ptolemy editions from the late 15th and 16th century (with or without a section of 'modern' maps), Lafreri-atlases, manuscript chart books etc. can also be considered as atlases (see Akerman, 1991). 2. Mercator's 1595 Atlas - the first book with the title Atlas - is a posthumously published, very incomplete edition of the multi-volume cosmography as planned by Gerard Mercator and described in his 1569 Chronologia. "Atlas" was intended to be the title for the complete work, the section with modern geographical maps (the 2nd book of the 1595 Atlas) was entitled simply 'Geographia Nova Totius Mundi'. In my article 'From Atlas to atlas' (Van der Krogt 1994), I described how it was possible that the title of Mercator's incomplete work became the general term for a 'book with (cartographical) plates'. Akerman (1991): On the shoulders of a Titan: viewing the world of the past in atlas structure / James Richard Akerman. -Thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor in philosophy, Pennsylvania State University 1991. Van der Krogt (1994): Van Atlas tot atlas. - In: Kartografisch Tijdschrift 20(1994)3, pp. 11-18. (summarized version in English, without annotations: From Atlas to atlas. - In Mercator's World 1(1996)1, pp. 61-63 & 93). YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY Dr Peter van der Krogt Map Historian, Explokart Research Program Faculty of Geographical Sciences, University of Utrecht P.O. Box 80 115, 3508 TC UTRECHT, The Netherlands Private address: Mijerstraat 20, 2613 XM DELFT, The Netherlands e-mail: [log in to unmask] (private) or [log in to unmask] (university) fax: +31 15 212 6063 YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY PER ANGUSTA AD AUGUSTA YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY