(Atlas - Netherlands) BLAEU, Joan Toonneel der Steden van de Vereenighde Nederlanden, met hare beschrijvingen. [Toonneel der Steden van 's Konings Nederlanden, met hare beschrijvingen]. [Amsterdam], J. Blaeu, [1652] 2 parts in 2 vol., folio (53 x 35 cm): [14 incl. engr. title] pp.-129 maps, [14 incl. engr. title] pp.-96 maps; hand-coloured and hinge-mounted (Vol. 1: water stain in right margin from title to H, and in lower right corner in the middle and at the end of the vol., map of Wageningen: right margin cut, map of Amsterdam: lower central folding partly split, map of "Curia Hollandia Interior": paint gap in central folding of size: 15 x 8 mm, "De Zeyl-wagen": oxidation on text side, sm. wormhole, some sm. repairs in lower margin, sm. brown spots, sm. repairs, margin frayed, browned edges. Vol. 2: water stain in right margin first ff. and in upper margin 4 last ff., paint gap of length 4 cm in upper central folding of a few maps, right lower margin a few times frayed, a few small spots, tears and repairs, minor defects throughout). More detailed condition report on demand. Contemp. Dutch bindings: white ivory vellum decorated with gilt roll-stamps and central medallion, spines with gilt roll-stamps, gilt edges (end ribbons missing, Vol. 1: lower endband partially detached, Vol. 2: some stains on upper plate).Wide-margined copy. Complete first Dutch edition of Blaeu's town atlas of the Netherlands of which only 75 copies in 4 states are known, including 129 maps of the United Netherlands and 96 maps of the Royal Netherlands. First issue with the first state of the map of Zwolle [Zwolle: 43.1], with several plates from the old stock (1st vol.: 4π1r, 5π1r, 2nd vol.: 3π1r, 5π1r) and with the running title misprinted "Coeveden". The composition of the atlas, first published in Latin after the Treaty of Westphalia, reflects the Dutch Republic's struggle for independence from Spain. The town atlas of the Netherlands formed part of Blaeu's larger and very ambitious plan to build a theatre showing the towns of the world. As this job was hard to complete during a lifetime, Blaeu explained his choice to start with the Netherlands as this was the theatre of the most important events of his time, and also because the country was his homeland. "Bound up, by sentiment, with the most dramatic and heroic period of the shaping of the Dutch State, it shows the proud and industrious cities of the North in their full splendour." Ref. van der Krogt IV [43:121.1].