Wit, Frederick

Born Gouda, died Amsterdam. Prolific map publisher, engraver and seller, whose work encompassed sea and world atlases, wall maps, and “Town Books”: plans and views of European cities. Sometime after 1647 he acquired and republished copperplates of town books engraved by Blaeu and Jansonnius. In 1688 or 1689 he obtained a privilege from the States General to publish his maps: atlases after that date carry the legend “Cum Privilegio”. His “Atlas” and “Atlas Major” were issued 1670–1707 in numerous editions with 17 to 190 maps. De Wit’s son Franciscus did not take over the publishing house after his father’s death in 1706, as he was already a prosperous stockfish merchant by this time and had little interest in his father’s business. However De Wit’s wife Maria continued the business for four years, printing and editing De Wit’s maps until 1710. In 1710 Maria sold the firm at auction. Most of the atlas plates and some of the wall maps were sold to Pieter Mortier (1661–1711), a geographer, copper engraver, printer and publisher from Amsterdam. His maps were sold until 1763 by Covens and Mortier. Others were bought by Pieter van der Aa, and Louis Renard. After Mortier’s death, his firm eventually passed to the ownership of his son, Cornelis Mortier and Johannes Covens I, who together founded Covens & Mortier on November 20, 1721. Covens & Mortier grew to become one of the largest cartography publishing houses of the 18th century.

Any of his maps with a “Cum Privilegio” in the cartouche could not have been published before 1688–1689. Yet, you will find many of his maps online (but not now on this site, I hope) dated earlier than 1688–1689 having the “Cum Privilegio”. I now believe there were at least three states of the plate of “REGNI POLONIÆ et Dvcatus LITHVANIÆ, Voliniae, Podoliae, Vcraniae Prvssiæ et Cvrlandiæ
Novissima et Correctissima Descriptio”:

1. First state cartouche: “REGNI POLONIÆ et Dvcatus LITHVANIÆ… descriptio emendata per F. de Wit. Amstelodami” – published 1680–1688. Baltic Sea has either 3 or 4 ships – buyer’s option.
2. Second state cartouche: “… per F. de Witt Cum Privilegio D.D. Ordinum Hollandiae Westfrisiæ (note added “t” in his last name) – published 1689 – Baltic Sea now has a mileage chart.
3. Third State cartouche: “Reipublicæ et Status Generalis POLONIÆ Nova Tabula, Comprehendens MAIORIS et MINORIS POLONIÆ REGNI, Magni Ducatus LITVANIÆ… Accuratum Descriptionem Per
   F. de Wit Amstelodami, Cum. Priv. D.D. Ordin. Holl. Westfrisiæ”(His name is back to one “t”) published beginning 1700, with a mileage chart.