A. Pher de la Croix - Algemeene Weereld-Beschryving - 1705

General World Description.

General World Description, according to the true division of the Landschappen, Places, Seas, Rivers, etc. Geographical, Political, Historical, Chronological and Genealogical.

Parts 1 and 2 of this very rare work. Rebound in later leather bindings. Occasionally a page is loose and sometimes a few sentences are underlined. Part 2 has a small light discoloration at the top. There are no engravings left; otherwise the set would have a completely different price. Sets like these have previously been sold at auction for between 8,000 and 12,000 euros. In today’s market complete sets of the General World Description are rare and sought-after collectible objects at historic auctions, as can be seen in the archives of Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

Total 1000 pages of reading pleasure! A unique chance to acquire something special in your hands!

First Dutch edition of La Croix’s general description of the world
It is regarded as an important example of early-18th-century Dutch cosmography and geographical description. This extensive multi-part work offered a detailed geographical, political, and historical description of all continents, nations, seas, and rivers known at the time.

The book describes the world on geographical, political, historical, and chronological levels.
See the photos

The work originally consists of three parts; parts 1 and 2 cover Europe, while part 3 covers Asia, Africa, and America. The offered Part 1 and 2 thus concern Europe as standalone parts.

The organization is different from our current continental map. In 1705, for example, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Prussia, and the separate German principalities are treated as separate regions.

Part 1 – Europe

In the first part, among other things, the following European countries and regions are discussed:

Netherlands / The United Provinces
Flanders
Brabant
Holland
Zeeland
Utrecht
Gelderland
Overijssel
Friesland
Groningen
Drenthe
France
Spain
Portugal
England
Scotland
Ireland
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Iceland

Part 2 – Europe

There the European description continues, including:

Germany / the Holy Roman Empire
Austria
Bohemia
Moravia
Silesia
Hungary
Poland
Prussia
Muscovy / Russia
Switzerland
Italy
Venice
the Papal States
the Kingdom of Naples
Sicily
Sardinia
Greece
the Greek islands
the Ottoman Empire / European Turkey
Dalmatia
Croatia
Slavonia
Bosnia
Serbia
Romania / Wallachia
Moldavia

This is a historical geographical division. It describes not only sovereign countries but also landscapes, duchies, kingdoms, and provinces. That explains why there are many more names than on a modern map.