Dr. Marcel van den Broecke (1942 - 2020)
Marcel van den Broecke has specialized in Ortelius' maps over the last 25 years. He is considered to be the specialist in this subject and his numbering and classification system of Ortelius atlas maps has gained acceptance in the map trade as well as map research.
In this sale, we can offer a selection of original Ortelius maps from the collection of dr. Marcel van den Broecke. Each map has in lead pencil, by the hand of Marcel van den Broecke, the "vdB Ortnumber" and publication date. In the top left, his price valuation and stock number.
A great option to buy an original Ortelius map owned by the ultimate Ortelius specialist.
ORTELIUS ATLAS MAPS An illustrated Guide.
This book is Marcel's best-known publication. It provides information on the maps included in the first regular atlas, Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.
This atlas appeared first in 1570 and went through numerous editions. Its content was updated and expanded, growing from 53 to 166 maps. The atlas was the most expensive book of the 16th century, but despite that, it was a bestseller, and more than 7,000 copies were printed. This illustrates its importance in the history of cartography, a fact recognized by Ortelius' contemporaries, map collectors, and historians today.
The book is a guide that provides information on the occurrence of each map in various atlas editions, thus allowing the reader to determine from which edition a loose map derives. It also provides information on the various states most maps went through and gives their cartographical sources.
An illustration opens the description of each map. The author has identified many new maps and describes them here for the first time. The guide opens with a short biography on Ortelius and a survey of the editions of his atlas and is concluded by indexes that help to identify maps quickly. This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to know details about Ortelius' maps as they appear in his atlas.
Marcel Peter René van den Broecke (Amsterdam, 25 May 1942 - Bilthoven, 8 March 2020)Van den Broecke studied at the Barlaeus Gymnasium, followed by studies in chemistry at the Brandeis-university, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. He continued studying English, Language science and phonetics at the University of Amsterdam.
In 1986 he graduated as PhD at Utrecht University with his study Hierarchies and rank orders in Distinctive Features (van Gorcum, Assen).
In 1982-1983 he studied historical cartography at Utrecht University.
In 2009 he graduated as PhD in urbanistic sciences at Utrecht University, with his dissertation Ortelius, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570-1641). Characteristics and development of a sample of on verso map texts.
He was married to Dr. Deborah Günzburger, and he had four sons.
- How rare is a map and the atlas it comes from? Facts and speculations on production and survival of Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum and its maps, in: The Map Collector, 1986.
- Varieties binnen edities van oude atlassen, geïllustreerd aan Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, in: Caert Thresoor, 1994.
- Unstable editions of Ortelius’ atlas, in: The Map Collector, 1995.
- Ortelius zag de continenten al drijven, in: Caert-Thresoor, 1995.
- Ortelius Atlas Maps: an illustrated guide, HES Publishers, 1996.
- Platen en staten in Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, in: Capita Selecta uit de geschiedenis van de cartografie, ed. P. van der Krogt. NVK publikatiereeks nr. 18, Amersfoort, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kartografie.
- Abraham Ortelius Mercators World, 1997.
- Introduction to the Life and Works of Abraham Ortelius, in: Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas, HES Publishers, 1998.
- The Plates of Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, in: Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas, HES Publishers, 1998.
- Unmasking a Forgery, Mercators World, 1998.
- Abraham Ortelius, grondlegger van de moderne kartografie, in: Kartografisch Tijdschrift, 1998.
- Ortelius as a Scientist, Collector and Merchant, in: Journal of the International Map Collector’s Society (Imcos) 1998.
- Historical Maps in the First Modern Atlas by Abraham Ortelius – Their Justification and Purpose, exemplified by their texts, Brussels International Map Collector Society (BIMCS), February 2002.
- Historische kaarten en hun teksten in de eerste moderne atlas van Abraham Ortelius, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2002, with an English summary.
- Correcties op het boek Ortelius Atlas Maps, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2003.
- De eerste staat van Vrients/Philip Galle's Inferioris Germaniae kaart gevonden, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2004.
- De Utopia kaart van Ortelius, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2004.
- Has the fourth Ortelius Americas plate ever been used?, in: Mapforum, 2005.
- Oceanography in Ortelius's atlas text, in: International Journal on the history of Oceanography, 2005.
- Unmasking another Ortelius atlas map forgery: Iceland, in: IMCOS Journal, 2006.
- Ortelius’ Zeeland kaart revisited, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2007.
- The significance of language: The Texts on the Verso of the Maps in Abraham Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Imago Mundi Vol. 60 Part 2, 2008.
- Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570-1641) Characteristics and development of a sample of on verso texts, in Netherlands Geographical Studies 380, KNAG The Hague.
- Ortelius’ Epitomes?, in: Caert-Thresoor, 2011.
- Ortelius Atlas Maps, An illustrated guide, Second revised edition, HES Publishers, 2011.
- Ortelius’ Brittenburg,in: Caert-Thresoor, 2011.
- Ortelius’ Engravers and Engravings. How many engravers did Ortelius employ for his maps, and how can they be identified?, in: Imcos Journal 134, Autumn 2013.
- Ortelius’ Library Reconstructed, in: Imago Mundi, 2014.
- Ortelius’ Merchandise: His Atlases, Then and Now, in: The Portolan, 2014.
- Mercator and Ortelius, two of a kind?, in: A world of innovation, Cartography in the Time of Gerhard Mercator, edited by Gerhard Holzer, Valery Newby, Petra Svatek and Georg Zotti, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015.
- Abraham Ortelius, 1527–1598. His life, works, sources and friends, 2015.
Collaborations:
- (with Deborah Günzburger), The Wanderings of patriarch Abraham, in: Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas, Marcel van den Broecke, Peter van der Krogt & Peter H. Meurer, eds., HES Publishers, 1998.
- (with Peter van der Krogt & Peter H. Meurer, eds.) Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas, HES Publishers, 1998.
- (with Ferjan Ormeling), What's in a Name (topographical names on Ortelius’ Utopia map), in: The Map Book, Peter Barber (ed.) Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, UK, 2005.
- Obituary – Marcel P. R. van den Broecke (25 May 1942 – 8 March 2020), in: Journal of Phonetics, July 2020.
- Bookreviews about Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas (1998)
- John BARRET, in: Newsletter Brussels International Map Collectors Circle, 1999
- Hans-Uli FELDMAN, in: Cartographica Helvetica, 1999
- Jason Harris, in: Imago Mundi, 2000
- Bookreviews about Ortelius Atlas Maps, an illustrated guide (2011)
- Wulf BODENSTEIN, in: Brussels International Map Collectors Circle, 2012.
- Fredric SHANGER, in: The Portolan, 2012.
- Lisette DANCKAERT, in: Caert-Tresoor, 2012.
- Hans-Uli FELDMANN, in: Cartografica Helvetica, 2012.
- Peter BARBER, in: The Book Collector, 2012.
- Alfred Hiatt, in: IMCoS Journal, 2012.