Jacobsz Theunisz Lootsman (1606 – 1650)
was the founder of a maritime publishing house in Amsterdam. Theunisz is the family name. Jacobsz is a Dutch patronymic meaning „son of Jacob“. He added „Lootsman“ to his name to distinguish himself from other printers of the same name. „Lootsman“ in Dutch literally means „pilot“ (a maritime navigator who guides ships). In 1631 he married Lijntje Robjns. They settled „op het Water, in de Lootsman tussen de Oude en Nieuwe brugh“. After his death first his wife, and then his sons Jacob (died 1679) and Casparus (1635 – 1711) continued the firm and they published the greater part of the many editions of the pilot guide.
Map Details
„This extremely rare chart comes from the ‚t‘Nieuwe en Vergroote Zee-Boeck’ and is known in only four examples“ (Burden, The Mapping of North America I, No. 288). It is a pilot book in a smaller format to the standard „Zee-Spiegel“. According to Koeman it was in production in 1650 and completed under Theunis Jacobsz’ name. The earliest surviving one is dated 1652, published two years after his death. There are editions known of the atlas in 1653 and 1654. A number of derivatives exist of this chart produced by Goos, Doncker, Colom and Robijn.
Folded into the atlas (two sheets conjoined) this oblong chart has an elaborate title cartouche with scrollwork and maritime motifs.
The map extends from Baffin Island („America“) in the west to the Faroe Islands in the east. In the center is Greenland, it also shows Baffin Island, Cumberland Sound, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Faroe Islands and Shetland. Remarkable are the two mythical Straits across Greenland, one named after Elizabethan sea captain Martin Frobisher. The northeastern coastline of Greenland is only roughly sketched, supplements by the note that there are lots of big icebergs.
The seas dominate the composition crisscrossed with rhumb lines from seven compass roses.
One of them is placed in „America“ and here it is written: „Here is fresh fish, dead whales, white foxes and fresh salmon“.
In the upper right corner are three distance scales. In the lower right is the plate number 27. Coastlines are carefully outlined but interiors are blank and not decorated. The Arctic Circle is not marked on this map.
Iceland is placed much too close to Greenland. „Yslandt“ is written across the map. Place-names are to be found only around the coastline.
Comments by the collector
I have bought this map from Altea gallery in 2025. With regard to the publication year, in the contract is written c.1652 but in the description of the map 1653. Because the exact year is obviously not known I use the period of publication.