1575 Braun & Hogenberg Map of Cambridge (Cantebrigia)
This original 1575 hand-colored copperplate engraving depicts Cambridge, England, and was published by Georg Braun and engraved by Frans Hogenberg as part of the landmark Civitates Orbis Terrarum atlas. Produced during the Renaissance era, the map presents the city from a distinctive bird’s-eye perspective and includes detailed renderings of university buildings, King’s College Chapel, and period figures in Elizabethan dress. Printed on handmade laid paper with original Latin text on the reverse, it represents an authentic example of early European cartography.
MARKET SIGNIFICANCE
Braun and Hogenberg’s Civitates Orbis Terrarum is widely regarded as one of the most important achievements in Renaissance cartography and the first comprehensive atlas devoted to cities. Early views of Cambridge remain particularly desirable due to the city’s longstanding academic and historical significance. Collectors place strong emphasis on originality, including hand coloring, visible plate impressions, full margins, and surviving reverse text panels. Examples from the earliest 1575 editions are increasingly difficult to locate in well-preserved condition, making them attractive to antiquarian map collectors, institutions, alumni, and specialists in early printed works. The enduring demand for authentic Renaissance city views continues to support a stable collector market.
PROVENANCE NOTES
The map retains a handwritten archival collection label on the reverse identifying it as a 1575 Braun & Hogenberg printing. No additional institutional or gallery provenance is currently documented.
VALUATION SUMMARY
Auction Estimate:
$550 – $700 USD
Private Sale Estimate:
$850 – $1,100 USD
Value is supported by the map’s 16th-century origin, authentic hand coloring, surviving margins, original reverse text, and continued collector demand for early Braun & Hogenberg city views. Minor centerfold wear is consistent with historical atlas binding and has been factored into the valuation.
SELLING STATUS
Status: Research Complete
This item has been professionally researched, authenticated, and documented for collector reference.