The Maps of Bert Twaalfhoven
From the Collections of Fordham University Libraries
17) Untitled. (The Northeast/New York City) 1556.
Mapmakers: Giacomo Gastaldi and J.B. Ramusio
The first printed map devoted to the New England region. It contains the most accurate early delineation of the New York City area based on the first European sighting by Verrazano. The map is a lively woodcut filled with charming representations of Amerindians and their customs as well as flora and fauna. These and other details on the map were drawn from a letter written by Verrazano describing his voyage. The fact that it was based on a written letter might account for its crudity, e.g. Cape Breton is shown nearly adjacent to Buzzard's Bay. The peninsula "Angouleme is Manhattan Island named after King Francis I who was the Duke of Angouleme. The long mark parallel to the coast could be the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic drift, or simply shoals and shallows.
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