Vallard atlas

It is believed that Nicholas Vallard was the first owner and this is why the publication bears his name [2] The atlas is held at the Huntington Library based in San Marino, California, USA.

The atlas consists of 68 pages, and contains 15 nautical charts with rich illustrations as well as a calendar and some in-depth maritime information.

The atlas contains numerous illuminations that show the New World’s inhabitants, and this is why it is considered a valuable testimony of discovery.

[3] There is some speculation that like some other works of the Dieppe school of maps, the atlas may show the Australian coastline with its depiction of a continent labelled Jave la Grande, which would mean it was created before the documented discoveries of Willem Janszoon or James Cook.

[3][4][5][6] However, most historians do not accept this theory, and the interpretation of this feature of the Vallard and other Dieppe maps is highly contentious.