From ‘Speculum Orbis Terrarum’ by Gerard de Jode, published in 1578. Gerard de Jode (1509-1591) was a cartographer and publisher who lived and worked in Antwerp. With ‘Speculum’ he aimed to challenge Abraham Ortelius’ atlas, his contemporary and competitor. It has been suggested that Ortelius was responsible for delaying the publication of de Jode’s work, by using his extensive contacts to prevent de Jode’s atlas being granted the necessary approbations (or privileges), as Ortelius wished to protect his own work. De Jode did not gain all the necessary approbations until 1577, some seven years after the publication of the ‘Theatrum’, the first copies of the ‘Speculum’ being sold at Plantin’s shop in 1579.

Ortelius’ plan would seem to have worked, as Plantin’s records suggest that very few copies were actually sold. Although sales of de Jode’s work were less than ideal, the work was evidently held in high regard with several contemporary works citing its importance alongside the atlases of Mercator and Ortelius.