Civitates Orbis Terrarum, a multi-volume 16th-century atlas of European and world cities. The engravings, stacked across the page, portray the cities as an approaching traveler would see them. The realistic perspective of the two city views distinguishes them from the bird's-eye perspective of a city map; indeed, the engravings resemble paintings.

In the engraving of Halle, two women, assumedly locals, stand before a road that winds through a sweeping green field before reaching the skyline of Halle. The map labels the major landmarks of Halle, its soaring cathedral being most prominent. The lower map of Hildesheim, while devoid of locals, includes a large lake with four ducks. A road passes the lake and bends towards the Hildesheim skyline, whose major features, mostly church steeples, are labeled.

The engravings were meant to accompany text in the atlas, which this piece does not contain. The missing text describes notable features of the cities and their regions, emphasizing the ethnographic goal of the atlas project. (Will Gleason '21)]]>
A tool for visualizing which cities are in which volume https://clemson.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?appid=ba6fb42c256746f1ae96136087b1e752

Braun, Georg and Frans Hogenberg. Beschreibung und Contrafactur der vornembster Stät der Welt, ed. Max Schefold. Plochingen: Müller und Schindler, 1965-1970.  A complete facsimile of the Civitates. Carleton Library Special Collections (Folio) G140.B715.  https://bridge.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01BRC_INST/1tn7c8c/alma991014858959702971]]> Ballon, Hilary and David Friedman. “Portraying the City in Early Modern Europe: Measurement, Representation, and Planning.” In The History of Cartography vol. 3, edited by David Woodward, 680-704. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.

Harvey, P.D.A. “Local and Regional Cartography in Medieval Europe.” In The History of Cartography vol. 1, edited by J.B Harley and David Woodward, 464-501. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.

Sanderus. “Hall - Hildesheim by Braun & Hogenberg 1596-1640.” https://sanderusmaps.com/our-catalogue/antique-maps/europe/germany-cities/antique-map-of-hall-hildesheim-by-braun-hogenberg-22100

]]> Special Collections (Flat Files) ; G5700 1400-1800 Map 06]]>