A fine birds-eye view of Elbing in present day Poland. The town is shown spanning the Elbing River, bound by its fortifications. The buildings are displayed in great detail. In the foreground are some habitants pausing on the way into town. The view is by Pierre van der Aa (1659-1733), a prolific publisher particularly during the first part of the eighteenth century. By 1682 he was a bookseller and proprietor of an auction house. Amongst these publications is arguably the biggest atlas ever published, the 66 volume ‘La Galerie Agreable du Monde’.