Chapter V
PREPARING THE MAP OF VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND
Before we commit ourselves to the precise reason why Herrman cast his fortunes with the English after 1659, it will be necessary to trace the origin of his conception to prepare a map of Maryland. At an early age he had shown marked talents toward design and map-making. Did Herrman study design and drawing either in Prague or Amsterdam? Čapek suggests that Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1677), a Bohemian exile, was Herrman’s early instructor.
“Might not have Herrman taken lessons in art drawing from his famous countryman? Hollar drew perspective views, costumes, insects, geometric figures, even maps. On page 38 of Vertue’s (George) biography we read that ‘Hollar drew an exact map of America.’ That these two, Hollar and Herrman—who were townsmen, born in Prague—knew each other is certain.”[1]
The earliest view of New Amsterdam that has come down to us is from the pen of Herrman. It was first published as an embellishment to Nicholas Van Visscher’s map of New Netherland (1650) and later appeared in the second edition of Van der Donck’s “Beschryvinge van Nieuw-Nederlant.”[2] In 1660 the view of the village was sent to Amsterdam, “to make it more public by having it engraved”.[3] The engraving repre-
- ↑ Čapek, Thomas, Augustine Herrman. Praha, 1930, pp. 11—12.
- ↑ Brodhead, Hist. of N. Y., Vol. I. p. 561.
- ↑ Ibid. p. 674. What Brodhead here means no doubt is a larger engraving than what had appeared on the Visscher map or in Van der Donck’s History. Jasper Dankers speaks of the engraving on Visscher’s map in 1650. Memoirs Long Island Hist. Soc., Vol. I. p. 230.
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