The decision to embark on researching maps in books has resulted in a publication, presenting an unique combination of maps, plans and views. It concerns those, tucked away in historical and geographical works on Russia and Poland, prior to 1800 and published in the Netherlands. Both maps and books are elaborately described, analysed and indexed; much attention has been lavished on their authors, engravers and publishers to boot. The cartographic subdivision of the maps according to their regions brings to light the specific interrelation between the various works by differing authors. The comprehensive introduction describes the history of Russia and Poland from various points of view for specific subjects and comes richly illustrated with over 100 images. The cartobibliography contains illustrations for each of the over 700 maps described and the bibliography features a large number of title pages and portraits in addition. This unusual combination of research objectives should appeal to map and book historians and collectors alike. A large folding view of the city of Moscow (30 x 185 cm.) by Cornelis de Bruijn (1711) has been added in facsimile at the back of this publication. Summaries in Russian and Polish complete this publication. In English with Polish and Russian summary.
Maps in books of Russia and Poland is part 13 of the Utrecht Studies on the History of Cartography (Explokart).