Blaeu

Blaeu (spelt also Blaeuw and Blaew, Lat. Cæsius), WILLEM JANSZOO, a map-drawer and printer, was born at Alkmaar, Holland, in 1571. His Terrestrial and Celestial Globes excelled in beauty and accuracy everything that had preceded them; as also did some of his maps. He died in 1638. —His son, JAN (died 1673), commenced business on his own account at Amsterdam in 1637, but afterwards entered into company with his brother, Cornelis (died 1650). His Atlas Major, in 11 volumes, is a remarkable work, with many curious plates; and the maps are extremely valuable from the light they throw on local history. Besides six maps of Ireland, the volume on Scotland contains forty-nine maps of that country, prepared by Timothy Pont (q.v.), and a great amount of local details by Sir John Scott. He further published a series of topographical plates and views of towns. Two of Jan's sons carried on the business until 1700.