T Fort Tacaray, ofte Witsen
London: John Ogilby, 1671.
Map. Copper plate engraving with modern hand coloring. Image measures 10 1/2" x 14"
Stunning view of the Fort Witsen, a 17th century Dutch fort in present-day Ghana. Facing the coast from the sea, several large merchant ships are seen sailing in the harbor. A small settlement lies in the hills above the shoreline, and a larger fort on the opposing hill flies a large Dutch flag. Published in "Africa: Being An Accurate Description of the Regions..." Fort Witsen, also known as Fort Tacaray, is close to the modern city of Takorandi.
John Ogilby (1600-1676) is often noted in the literature for his wide ranging pursuits--dancer, actor, translator, tutor, among others--that, more often than not, ended in failure. But rather than thinking of these pursuits as unsuccessful, they might be better considered as steps toward his ultimate destiny: cartography. Ogilby got his first taste of the trade in 1666--himself at the age of 66--by surveying and mapping London after the Great Fire. The project inspired him to pursue and publish geographical descriptions of the wider world, including China, Japan, and Africa. In 1675, a year after he was appointed "Kings Cosmographer and Geographic Painter," he published the defining work of his career, a road atlas of England entitled "Britannia." The original volume was the first road atlas ever published and was notable for its scale of one inch to a standard mile. This impressive and innovative volume finally secured Ogilby's place in the history books one of the most memorable and important figures of 17th-century cartography.
Binding: Unbound
Language: English
Price: $275.00
Item #301254