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| Brazil (Sea Atlas, France, 1538) |
History
The map-collection, but especially the atlases, of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek might have been a little underestimated up till now. This misunderstanding can be easily explained. In 1808 the Koninklijke Bibliotheek got into the possession of the bigger part of the collection of Mr. Joost Romswinckel, being. ca. 22-24,000 book volumes and ca. 9-10,000 maps, plans etc. A hand-written catalogue was made (ms. 72 D 17) with an estimated 5,000 titles of mostly 17th and 18th century maps. It is surprising to note that most descriptions contain a verbal scale statement. However in 1857 the then librarian Holtrop ceded most of the collection to the Department of War and the Corps of Engineers, except for some very valuable items (a.o. portolans on vellum) and all atlases. Fortunately most of the maps through the years have been deposited in the General State Archives, though they cannot be traced back anymore to the Romswinckel-collection.
In 1887 some 3,500 items were added through a legacy from P.J.B.C. Robidé van der Aa, consisting mainly of atlases, hundreds of itineraries and some maps and plans. Up till now this collection has been enlarged in support of sciences such as geography and history.
But a separate listing of all these items is not available, but descriptions are scattered throughout the general catalogues, nor are they stored separately. At the moment the collection is inventoried and it is hoped that in some years an overview can be produced.
The Netherlands only started with a 'Dépot Volontair' in 1974 and since 1975 also cartographic materials are included. Each year some 1,000-1,200 separate maps and atlases, published in The Netherlands, are added. However, till 2000 also maps in or appended to books and periodicals are described.
Contents
Till 1880:
ca. 2,500 maps
Mainly single-sheet maps of divers origin
3 portulans.
ca. 225 atlases
Ca. 100 foreign atlases, mainly 17th and 18th century.
4 manuscript portolan atlases
The Royal Library has a large collection of itineraries, of which part was legated in 1888 by P.J.B.C. Robidé van der Aa (died in 1887).
1880-1945:
Several hundred map-sheets of unknown origin
Several hundred atlases, general, regional, national, linguistics and history.
1945-present:
map-sheets and atlases among which many facsimiles and reproductions.
From 1975 onwards inluding the national production of cartographic materials.
Bibliographies - Literature
1. Bibliografie van in Nederland verschenen kaarten. Annual 1975-1982, Den Haag : Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 1977-1984.
2. Bibliografie van in Nederland verschenen kartografische materialen. Overlapping tri-annuals 1991-1993, ..., Houten : Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum, 1995-...
3. Frontiers of access to cartographic materials within a repository library / Jan Smits. In: LIBER Bulletin 28, pp. 34-39. Heidelberg : LIBER. 1986.
4. Collectieprofiel 1995 Kaartenverzameling Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties
5. Collection profile 1995 Depository Map Collection
6. Index to the 'Atlantes Neerlandici' / Dutch map collections