Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 – 1638) & Joan Blaeu (1596 – 1673)

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 - 1638). Engraver, publisher and astronomer. Pupil of J. Hondius and T. Brahe. Founder of a firm in Amsterdam 1596, which produced terrestrial and celestial globes first, charts and maps from 1604, and atlases from 1631, and which was the leading company publishing maps almost for a whole century.

Joan Blaeu (1596 - 1673). Cartographer and publisher in Amsterdam, son of W. Blaeu. He expanded the atlas 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum', first issued by his father in two volumes 1635, up to 12 volumes until 1665 ('Atlas Major').