Miller Atlas
description: The Miller Atlas is a collection of a eight beautifully embellished maps from 1519. They are attributed to Lopo Homem, Pedro Reinel, and Jorge Reinel, prominent Portuguese cartographers of the time, and António de Holanda, a Dutch miniaturist. The atlas came at a time of strong cartographical presence and development in the area, especially in regards to nautical mapping. These charts cover various sections of the world, including the Atlantic Ocean, Northern Europe, Arabia, India, the Indian Ocean, Brazil, and more. One of the maps is a world map that shows about half of South America, as well as Europe, Africa, and much of Asia. While not all of the maps can be detailed here, a good representation of what they each contain can. The diagram of the Northern Indian Ocean With Arabia and India does this well. The entire map is covered with red and green lines which stem from compass roses. Much of the ocean is filled with drawings of grand ships sailing on small patches of blue water. Oceans are also marked with their names in black text. In the ocean, there are many islands of a variety of colors, some in gold, which stand out significantly. The edges of land are green with the color fading quickly as it goes inland. It appears as though countries are marked with a large red banner with gold writing. Individual city names are written much smaller in red or black. On land, there are a variety of drawings showing what is there. This ranges from castles and palaces, to trees and mountains, to animals and humans. With great attention to detail and use of color, the makers made it easy to envision the area and what one might find there. The Miller Atlas contains maps that differ from earlier maps in a few ways. This can be seen in the iconography, toponymy, and the use of legends to provide information. Additionally, the map uses design components such as red ink to bring out iconic elements and incorporate it into the design. Finally, the atlas is quite innovative in its…
creator: Lopo Homem, Pedro Reinel, Jorge Reinel, and António de Holanda
source: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1519
publisher: Reinel, Pedro, Jorge Reinel, Lopo Homem, and António de Holanda. Atlas Miller. Barcelona: M. Moleiro Editor, 2003.
date: 1519
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
rights: Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France. Public Domain.
relation: Atlas Miller at the Bibliothèque nationale, Paris
format: Atlas
language: Latin
type: Atlas
identifier: Special Collections (Folio) ; G1026 .A85 2006 Special Collections Map (Map, Rolled) ; G1026 .A85 2003

Monastery Water System Map
description: Similar to a modern architectural blueprint, this plan depicts both the building layout and the water pipe system of the Canterbury Cathedral and its monastery. However, unlike a blueprint, its use was most likely limited to memorialization by the monks of an important building project, rather than for use by architects or repairmen. The plan also differs from a blueprint because it is drawn from the ground perspective, which means that it shows the façades of the buildings rather structural details. The only thing visible to the viewer that would not be visible to the naked eye is the (red in the original, but gray here) labyrinth of water pipes, which snake between buildings and betray a more intimate knowledge of the workings of the building complex. Juxtaposed with the monks’ religious work (this map is an addition to a manuscript copy of the Book of Psalms), this plan reminds you of the practical aspects of their life in the monastery. (Connor Kasch '17 and Rowan Matney '16)
creator: Unknown
source: Canterbury Psalter (also known as Eadwine Psalter). Cambridge, Trinity College, R.17.1, f.284b-285.
publisher: The Canterbury Psalter, ed. M.R. James. London: P. Lund, Humpries & Co, 1935.
date: 12th century
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN.
rights: Rights for map held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: http://libraries.slu.edu/a/digital_collections/mssexhibit07/manuscripts/eadwine.html
format: .jpg
language: Latin
type: Plan
identifier: Carleton Library, Special Collections (Books, Quarto) BX2033.C3 J3 1935
coverage: Local

On the Nature of Things
description: De Natura Rerum, which translates to “On the Nature of Things,” was created between 612 and 615 CE. The manuscript discusses a range of topics including geography, astronomy, meteorology, and the measurement of time. It is also called the Liber rotarum because of the six circular illustrations that accompany the text. The six illustrations (“rotarum”) are illuminated in red, yellow, and blue ink. They include a 12-month calendar, a depiction of the cosmos, and diagrams of the seasons and climate zones. In the cosmological diagram, the Earth– a flat circle labeled “Terra”-- is shown to be at the center of the universe, surrounded by the Sun, Moon, and various planets, which move around the earth in circular orbits of increasing size. In the seasonal diagram, a circle representing the year is divided into labeled sections by a series of overlapping arcs. The five climate zones are represented by five circles within the larger circle of the earth. The earth is oriented northeast and labeled with the cardinal directions. The zones, labeled “first” to “fifth", begin in the north and continue clockwise around the world: the first and fifth zones are cold and uninhabitable, the second and fourth zones are habitable, and the third zone is hot and uninhabitable. These climate zones touch at the edges, but do not overlap. The space in the center of the diagram is left blank. De natura rerum was created by Saint Isidore of Seville, an author from Visigothic Spain. Isidore is most famous for his Etymologies, an encyclopedia of knowledge from the ancient world. He is also known for popularizing the circular representation of the world that is shown in De natura rerum. Isidore dedicated De natura rerum to Sisebut, a Visigothic king who ruled from 612 to 620 and is thought to have commissioned the book from Isidore. A poem about astronomy composed by Sisebut is included at the end of the manuscript. (Clara Fields 2027)
creator: Isidore of Seville
source: Vic, Museu d'Episcopal de Vic, Ms. 44.
publisher: Planas, Josefina, and Constantino Robles García. Liber astrologicus. Madrid: Millennium Liber, 2013.
date: 612-615
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: Different manuscript of De natura rerum (digitized) Museu d'Espicopal de Vic De natura rerum facsimile
format: Maps in manuscript
language: Latin
type: cosmographical diagram
identifier: Special Collections (Horizontal Shelving) ; QB41 .L52 2013 https://bridge.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01BRC_INST/1tn7c8c/alma991016494788602971

Peutinger Table
description: At twenty feet long and only one foot tall, the Peutinger Table provides an intriguing view of the Roman world. Stretching over eleven segments (the eighth of which appears in the thumbnail, showing Constantinople and the mouth of the Nile), from Great Britain and the Iberian Peninsula on the left to India on the right, the Mediterranean world features prominently with Rome close to the center of the map. The Mediterranean Sea itself has been flattened to allow the mapmaker to fit the land of Europe and North Africa into such a narrow space. Its strange proportions, coupled with its meticulous labeling of land masses, roads, rivers and towns, leads to a map that is both fascinating and difficult to categorize. Although all that exists now are medieval copies, the original Roman map (possibly dating to the fifth century) likely was mounted on a wall, showcasing the extent of the Empire. (Jordan Cahn '16 and Carrie Hanson '16)
source: Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Vindobonensis 324.
publisher: Tabula Peutingeriana: Codex Vindobonensis 324. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, 1976.
date: 12th/13th century
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN.
rights: Rights for maps help by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: http://www.cambridge.org/us/talbert/index.html http://www.euratlas.net/cartogra/peutinger/
format: .jpg
language: Latin
type: Regional Map
identifier: Carleton Library, Special Collections (Horizontal Shelving) G1026.P4 W4 1976
coverage: Europe, North Africa, Asia

Pfinzing Atlas
description: The Pfinzing Atlas is a bound collection (47 x 70 cm) of twenty-eight maps and descriptions that was created in 1594 by Nuremberg merchant Paul Pfinzing. Pfinzing was one of the earliest cartographers to utilize and describe in writing a measuring table for surveying land (1589). This same method was used in the Pfinzing Atlas. The maps vary greatly in scope and size, with city maps (Nuremberg, see thumbnail) and regional maps that show a late-1500s view of the landscape surrounding Nuremberg. The maps show cities, bodies of water, different regions and the ownership that is associated with them, and the natural landscape. Pfinzing uses several different mapping styles, and the reader is shown the German landscape at varying scales; detailed scenes of farmer life are found right next to a map that shows the regional divisions of a forest. (Joe White '21)
creator: Paul Pfinzing
source: Nuremberg, Staatsarchiv
publisher: Pfinzing, Paul. Der Pfinzing-Atlas von 1594 : Faksimile. Nürnberg: Staatsarchiv Nürnberg, 1994.
date: 1594
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
contributor: whitej3
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
format: Atlas
language: German
type: Regional map
identifier: Carleton Gould Library Special Collections (Horizontal Shelving) GA875.N85 P47 1994

Portolan Atlas
description: A beautiful example of a portolan chart atlas from the 14th century by Pietro Vesconte highlights the importance of coastal cities in the exploration of the Mediterranean basins. The intricate rhumb lines create a geometric pattern that makes it easy to pinpoint location. The coastlines of northern Africa and Spain are lovingly detailed with great precision. There is also a comprehensive list of the coastal cities one might encounter sailing around the Spanish basin of the Mediterranean, which were likely referenced by merchants traveling from port to port on trade routes. The folio pictured above depicts the Spanish coast. Other sections of the atlas include the eastern Mediterranean and Africa.
creator: Pietro Visconte
source: Vienna, Österrichische Nationalbibliotek, MS 594.
publisher: Pietro Visconte Da Genova, Carte Nautiche. Todi: ET&B, 1975.
date: 1318
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN.
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
format: jpg
language: Italian
type: Portolan Atlas
identifier: Carleton Library, Special Collections (Books) GA221 .V48 1975
coverage: Mediterranean Sea

Portolan Chart, 1508
description: This portolan chart of the Mediterranean, drawn in 1508 by Andrea Benincacsa, is illustrated on a complete piece of parchment. Benincasa, the son of prolific map maker Grazioso Benincasa, was both a chart maker and public servant at the turn of the 15th Century in Ancona, Italy. In the city, he was in charge of harbor fortifications for a number of years, though he continued to make charts as a part-time occupation. Portolan charts were a form of nautical maps utilized in the medieval Mediterranean Sea. This emphasis on navigation is evidenced by the highly detailed depiction of the coastline, including both harbors and hazards to ships. Though it is likely that portolan charts were used on board vessels, this map is among a contingent of high-quality works that were meant for display by merchants, captains, and other individuals interested in or tied to the maritime world in the Mediterranean. Upon first glance, the Rhumb lines that form a dense array across the parchment signal the navigational utility of the chart. The patterning represents wind lines which extend from illustrated wind roses at various points. These lines are drawn with alternating colors, with black ink representing the four cardinal winds and red ink representing the quarter winds. These wind lines aided in the execution and planning of maritime journeys as sailors plotted routes along known winds to reach the final destination efficiently. Though this map centers the Mediterranean Sea, it also includes Northern Africa, the British Isles in the Eastern Atlantic, the Black Sea, the Levant, and Northern Europe. Given that this map is meant for maritime use, coastal cities and ports are the main focus of the chart. Finely written place-names run perpendicularly along the detailed coast lines in both red and black ink. Red ink is utilized to denote cities and ports of importance. Through the writing of these place-names, the reader can see the expansive knowledge of the greater Mediterranean held b…
creator: Andrea Benincasa
source: Benincasa, Andrea. Portolan Chart; Borgiano VIII. Vatican City: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1508.
publisher: Seekarte des Andrea Benincasa (Borgiano VIII). Ancona, Italy, 1508. Facsimile with introduction and commentaries by Arthur Dürst. Vatican City : Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1984.
date: 1508
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Borg.Carte.naut.VIII
format: Sheet Map
language: Latin
type: Regional Map
identifier: Carleton Library Special Collections (Flat Files) (G3200 1508 .D87 1984)

Prussia
description: This 17th century map from Gerard Mercator’s Atlas sive cosmographicae meditationes depicts the region of Prussia along the Baltic Sea (modern day northeastern Poland and parts of Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad). The map is oriented with north at the top. An uncolored Baltic Sea labeled ‘Mare Balticum’ in italic lettering frames the region in the north, giving the land against the coast a sense of shape. There is a neatly decorated and colored cartouche over the Baltic Sea which depicts a green fruit running along its perimeter. In the middle of the cartouche is the label for the map: ‘PRVSSIA’ (Prussia). Underneath the cartouche is a scale bar with 5 segments of equal length, each of which represents the size of a German mile. On the orange framing of the map, there are lines of latitude ranging from 53 degrees to 55 degrees on the left and right as well as lines of longitude ranging from 40 degrees to 46 degrees on the bottom and top. The territory on the map is divided politically by the use of color. The colors are most prevalent along the borders between regions, forming thick lines in order to distinguish between said regions. The interior of each region is a much lighter shade of the color that appears on its borders. The most prominent color that appears is yellow, with it serving to delineate the political territory of the Duchy of Prussia as it existed in the late 16th to early 17th century. Along with color, larger regions of the map are separated through italic labels, which are consistent in size and type across the map. In the top right of the map, for instance, the region in green is labeled ‘Samogitiæ Pars.’ On the eastern edge of the map, with pink borders in the larger region labeled ‘Lituaniae Pars.’ This corresponds with the location of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a kingdom which Prussia was a vassal of at the time. Zooming in on some of the smaller pictorial details of the map, some cities are depicted as small hollow c…
creator: Gerard Mercator
source: Dvisbvrgi Clivorvm: Gerardi Mercatoris - Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura. Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam: 1619.
date: 1611
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
format: Sheet map removed from an atlas or book
language: Latin
type: Regional map
identifier: Carleton Library Special Collections (Flat Files) (G5700 1400-1800 Map 03)

Prussia, now a province of Germany
description: This map is an image of the region of Prussia with a city featured prominently in it. It is contained in a page cut from the Nuremberg Chronicle. The sheet of paper is a rectangle, forty-three centimeters tall by 29.5 centimeters long. The map itself is a square with twenty-three-centimeter-long edges. As mentioned before, the map is a city view, but it is not specified which city it depicts, in fact the buildings in the map are separated by different forms of terrain which makes it seem like the map contains four built up areas. Furthermore, the artist behind the map, simply titled the map “Prussia, now a province of Germany”. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the map represents the region of Prussia. Like many city views, the main urban area is shown as a bird’s eye view. From above the ground, we see that the city is located on a mountain, with the higher points of the mountain located on the back of the landscape. This creates the effect of going down the mountain as the eyes of the observer travel down the page. On the back of the landscape, the map has the first and smallest city, it is walled, and its only distinctive feature is a church that is also the tallest building of this city. To the right, on a slightly taller rock formation, there is another city built by a river that flows downhill all the way down to the bottom edge of the map. This city is also small in size, and it has no notable features. Downhill and to the left of the city, below the biggest rock formation of the map, there is the biggest city of the map. This city consists of a collection of towers and houses, and like the rest of the cities in the map, it seems to be walled, creating a distinction between nature and city. This city is also built by the previously mentioned river. At the bottom of the page, there is a fourth, medium-sized city, also built by the river, and also walled. To the right of this city, there is a group of trees that indicate a forest. As mentioned before, thi…
creator: Schedel, Hartmann
source: Hartman Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle,1493; plate CLXXX Nuremberg : Anton Koberger
source: Citation for second image....
date: 1493
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: Colored verson of the map
relation: Image 2: lksjdflksjdflkjsdf "Frau Mauro". CC BY-NC 4.o. Wikipedia.
format: sheet map removed from book
language: Latin
type: Regional Map
identifier: Carleton Library Special Collections (Flat Files) (G5700 1400-1800 Map 02)

Ptolemaic World Map
description: A world map showing Europe, Africa, and Asia, with the Indian Ocean bounded on all sides by land, which shows the influence of the maps associated with Ptolemy's Geography. The map is a woodcut, and the only element of color within the map are mountains which alternate between green, yellow, and red/brown. Some river origins and confluences are indicated with a circle, but others are hidden behind mountains. In some cases, rivers flow underneath mountains. Mountains in southern Africa and eastern Asia appear larger than those elsewhere. Regions, oceans, and seas are labeled with names contemporary in the 15th century (e.g., Anglia instead of Britannica); rivers are unlabeled. The Nile and Indus show deltas with multiple divisions. The oceans and seas are filled with undulating parallel lines. The map is shaped as an upward-facing crescent with a double-lined frame enclosing heads and names of the winds. On the top-left, top-right, and bottom-right corners behind (and in the case of the bottom-right, below) the frame, the sons of Noah, Japhet, Shem, and Ham, corresponding with their continents, hold the edges of the map. The bottom-left corner is occupied by a text about the winds taken from Isidore of Seville.
creator: Printing by Erhard Ratdolt, copied from painting by Pomponius Mela
source: Schedel, Hartmann. Liber Chronicarum. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 1493.
publisher: Schedel, Hartmann. Chronicle of the World: the Complete and Annotated Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493. Introduction and Appendix by Stephan Füssel. Köln, London: Taschen, 2001.
date: 1493
contributor: Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN.
contributor: snyders2
rights: Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
relation: https://www.beloit.edu/nuremberg/book/images/Cities%20Provinces%20Kingdoms%20and%20Countries/index.htm
format: Map in a book
language: German
type: World map
identifier: Carleton Gould Library Special Collections (Folio) (D17 .S3215 2001)