Atlas or cosmographical meditations upon the fabric of the world and the figure of the fabrick'd; Atlas of cosmographical considerations on the creation of the world and the shape of its creation

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Central to Mercator’s understanding of geography is an understanding of the divine. Mercator was born Catholic though was he was also sympathetic to Luther’s Protestantism. With this atlas, he aimed to better document and understand the visual element of the divine revelation. While there are 102 maps in the atlas that make up 90% of the book, they are drawn, illustrated, and described not necessarily to better understand the world, but to better understand the divine’s creation. However, Mercator is also famous for his 1569 projection that uses mathematics and geography to simplify land and sea navigation. The maps in this atlas, particularly the preliminary maps, use this projection. Mercator is a clear example of an individual using scientific thought and religion in tandem to drive world innovation.
Jacob Flignor '22
]]> ]]> A World of Innovation: Cartography in the Time of Gerhard Mercator Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015.]]> Carleton Library Special Collections (Folio) (G1007 .M4 1979)]]>