LUCAS JANSZOON WAGHENAER (VAN ENCHUIJSEN) (Probably Enkhuizen 1533 or 1534 – 1606 Enkhuizen) FIRST MAP OF EUROPE Born and raised in Enkhuizen, a town that experienced tremendous economic growth during his lifetime, Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer became the foremost pioneer in the development of better and safer navigation at sea. Little is known about his own career at sea, but in his ‘Spiegel der Zeevaerdt’ he describes himself as “a simple bourgeois and helmsman at sea” Waghenaer’s pilot books and maps revolutionized the field of European maritime cartography.  These publications gave Dutch cartography global significance! The series began with the publication of the ‘Spieghel der Zeevaerdt’(1584/5) in folio format, followed by the ‘Tresoor der Zeevaert’, a pilot book in smaller format. By Waghenaer, until recently, two survey maps of Western Europe were known, both of which formed an integral part of his ‘Spieghel’ . The first is the introductory map in the first volume of ‘De Spieghel der Zeevaerdt’, published in 1584. The map (55.5 x 39.2 cm) was engraved by Joannes van Deutecum and is dated 1583. This beautiful map was probably issued to the trade loose and without text on the verso as early as 1583. It shows all the coasts of western Europe. To the north, the map runs as far as the North Cape and Iceland, to the southwest as far as the Canary Islands. To the east, the entire Gulf of Finland is included, as well as the Mediterranean as far as Rome, the western tip of Sicily and Naples. The map gives a much more faithful picture than any of the earlier maps! JOANNES VAN DOETECHUM (Probably Deventer – 1630 Rotterdam) About his youth, we know that he learned the art of engraving in copper from his father, also called Joannes van Doetechum.  It was a family business specialising in the engraving and publishing of maps and the printing and publishing of books. Joannes jr’s brother Baptista van Doetechum also worked alongside Joannes and their father in the thriving business. Strong economic growth and the demand for maps gave the firm many orders. Joannes did not stay in Deventer all his life, as from 1592-93 he worked in Haarlem, then in Amsterdam in 1596 and finally in Rotterdam where he died in 1630. Joannes van Doetechum sometimes called himself Johan á Duetechum but also Joannes á Doetecum, which can still lead to confusion.