1689  DE RAM, Joannem 

Working from premises in Amsterdam, Joannem De Ram (1648-1693) became something of an all-rounder. A pupil of Romein de Hooghe, De Ram acquired the globe-producing factory of Johannes van Ceulen (1635-89), who had himself acquired, under license, the Blaeu family globes, gores, and copperplates. When he died in 1689 much of the debt remained unpaid, and the Blaeu’s sued for the balance to be paid out of proceeds of de Ram’s sales. By this time de Ram was in business as an engraver, publisher, printer, globe-maker, instrument maker and art dealer. In 1667 onwards he worked with Bleyswycks Beschryving in Delft and also published mezzotints derived from those published in London by Richard Tompson. 

His marriage to Maria van Zutphen took place in 1682 and when he died, in 1693, his widow married Jacob de la Feuille (1668 – 1719), who made use of the Blaeu stock and de Ram’s other cartographic plates, often removing de Ram’s name from the imprint and adding his own. De Ram published only one atlas of his own. He also published a map of the British Isles with a much revised plate from Allard.

The British Museum has a number of prints published including this one of a grotesque ornament with at centre an s-shaped, farting monster featuring a human head and breasts, bird wings and chicken legs; from the 1684 edition of a set first published in 1644. 

 

Large map showing England and Wales and narrow strip of the eastern Irish coast. The bulk of Ireland is taken up with large panel – An Alphabetical Table of cities and market towns, originally in Latin and later in English, with their coordinates and distances from London. The main features in the North Sea are The Wels and the Doggers Bank. Shirley[1] mentions a smaller dedicatory cartouche here which was removed before Reinier and Joshua Ottens reissued the map c. 1725.

Roads are shown with double lines with two roads entering Devon from Wellington and Chard. The first continues to Exeter with branch to Tiverton, the second passes Honiton and Exeter. Three roads leave Exeter to the west: one heads northwest to Stratton with branches to Ilforcombe Hartland and South Molton. A second proceeds to Launceston. A third through Ashburton (branch to Kingsbridge) proceeds to Plymouth and is then the only road to enter Cornwall to Truro and ends in Market Jew.

 

Regni Angliæ nova tabula : exhibens principatum Walliæ &, aliarum provinciarum, civitatum, oppidorum, una cum itineribus ab uno in aliam civitatem. The title in ornate cartouche bottom left with a Roman warrior with his foot on a lion, representing William III´s accession to the English throne, who is assisting a kneeling and crowned Queen Mary to rise. Cherubs and royal arms above. Above the bottom border is the imprint: E novissimis atque oculatis obseivationibus correcta Amstelodami Apud Joannem de Ram Cum Privilegio Ordinum Holl: et West-frisiae. Size: 495 mm x 575 mm. (P). 

Regni Angliæ nova tabula as above with table of cities etc now in English. (BL). 

Regni Angliæ nova tabula as above with table of cities etc now in English and Ottens imprint. Above the bottom border is the imprint: E novissimis atque oculatis obseivationibus correcta Amstelodami Apud R & I Ottens. (1730). (Leiden). 

Regni Angliæ nova tabula as above with table of cities etc now in English and Ottens imprint. Second cartouche erased.[2] (1730-1750). (Bern illustrated above).


Illustration courtesy of Geraint Morgan


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 1689    ALLARD, Carel

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[1] Shirley (1988) De Ram 1.

[2] This may have been erased earlier, in which case this will be identical to Leiden copy.

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