‘This extremely rare map is the first and most important derivative of John Smith’s map of Virginia originally published in 1612. Through the purchase of this plate by Willem Jansz. Blaeu in 1629 and its subsequent extensive publication for forty-two years, word of the English in Virginia became known throughout Europe. It is slightly larger than its parent, although more attractively engraved. Taken from the first state of the Smith, it continues the coastlines where the former had left them vague. The royal arms at the top lack the motto and a third cartouche is introduced to contain the Notarum explicatio.

Jodocus Hondius jr. was the eldest son of the famous Jodocus Hondius who died in 1612. After the latter’s death both Jodocus and his brother Henricus worked in the family business with their mother. After 1619 Henricus continued the family atlas alone. By 1621 when Jodocus married he had set up his own shop elsewhere. The earliest map known to be his work is one of Scandinavia published in 1613 when he was about nineteen years old.

In 1905 a collection of thirty-four maps bearing the imprint of Jodocus Hondius was discovered. Since then three other collections have come to light. It is known that Jodocus had the idea of publishing an up to date atlas as the family were still relying on the old Mercator and Hondius sr. maps. Until recently, other than the existence of these collections, no evidence was found to support this. Then in November 1993, Christies London auctioned a previously unrecorded fourth collection, this time with a title page, Appendix Atlantis Maioris. Per Iodocum Hondium Anno 1630. This alters the presumed chronology somewhat. It had been thought that shortly after Jodocus’ death on 18 August 1629, his widow sold a number of copperplates to Blaeu. He then replaced Hondius’ imprint with his own and published them alongside his other maps in the Atlantis Appendix of 1630, Blaeu’s first world atlas. The sale clearly occurred later than thought, and Hondius’ plans for an atlas were therefore more advanced. We know for certain, though, that although his widow had obviously tried to continue the business, by 2 March 1630 the sale must have taken place. This is because a contract from that date survives where Henricus Hondius and Joannes Janssonius, angry at the sale of the plates to their competitor, engaged engravers to cut a number of new plates within eighteen months so that they could advance their own atlas. A number of these are identical to the work of Jodocus’ (Burden).

Very few examples of this map with the imprint of Jodocus Hondius, Jr. survive. Loose examples rarely appear on the market. Burden (1996) 193; Christies 3 November 1993, lot 148/ Keuning (1948)/ Koeman (1967) vol. 1, pp. 71-5 map no. 50, vol. 2, pp. 138 & 344-8/ Van der Krogt, Koeman’s Atlantes Neerlandici, I, pps. 35-37, 123-127; Verner (1968) pp. 136-47 & 161-2.