1659—1733
Pierre (Pieter) van der Aa was a publisher, editor and bookseller of Leiden. He started as a bookseller at the age of twenty-three, becoming a prominent member of the Booksellers' Guild.
As a publisher his output was varied and prodigious though his main interest was the production of maps and atlases, which he printed in all sizes.
His publications include an Atlas Nouveau completed in about 1710, and the Galerie Agreable du Monde, of 66 parts in 27 volumes, completed in 1729 and containing over 3 000 maps. Parts 61—63 deal solely with Africa.
Though he was a successful merchant, as a geographer van der Aa was poor and his maps are collected mainly for their decorative qualities. Many of these maps were engraved by well-known Dutch engravers such as Luiken, Goeree and Stoopendael, and are typical examples of early eighteenth-century map productions.
Click here to see samples of maps published by P.van der AA.
Dictionary of map makers
An illustrated list of makers of maps, charts and globes from the earliest time of cartography to present.
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