Jan JANSSON

1588 - 1664

Johannes Janssonius, commonly known as Jan Jansson, was born in Arnhem, Netherlands, in 1588, and was interred in Amsterdam on July 11, 1664. He was the son of Jan Janszoon the Elder, an established publisher and bookseller. In 1612, Jansson married Elisabeth de Hondt, the daughter of the prominent cartographer and publisher Jodocus Hondius I. Through this marriage, Jansson entered an illustrious dynasty of mapmakers, working extensively within the family business alongside his brothers-in-law, Jodocus Hondius II and Henricus Hondius II.

Jansson played a major role in the Golden Age of Dutch cartography, establishing a prominent publishing house in Amsterdam and operating bookstores across European cities such as Frankfurt, Danzig, and Stockholm, to distribute his geographical works. In the 1630s, he partnered with Henricus Hondius II to update and expand the existing printing plates of the Mercator-Hondius atlases, issuing them under the name Mercator/Hondius/Janssonius. Following Henricus’ death, Jansson assumed full control of the business, engaging in an intense commercial and artistic rivalry with the Blaeu family. His production reached its peak with the massive eleven-volume Atlas Maior (or Atlas Major) by 1660, which incorporated the work of over one hundred engravers and authors. This series was noted for its specialised volumes, including the Atlas Maritimus (a dedicated maritime atlas), an extensive multi-volume Townatlas, depicting global city plans, and a celestial atlas, compiled by Andreas Cellarius. Following his death, his printing stock and publishing business were carried on by his heirs, including his son-in-law Johannes van Waesbergen, while separate sets of his plates were later acquired by other publishers such as Pieter Schenk and Gerard Valck.

As an influential entrepreneur and cartographer, Jan Jansson is remembered for scaling the production of multi-volume world atlases and establishing an international distribution network that elevated the reach and commercial prestige of Dutch mapmaking during the 17^th century.