Americae sive novi orbis, nova descriptio

The Americas, or the New World, is the earliest map in the McCord Museum's collection. The work of Dutch cartographer Abraham Ortelius, it was part of the first modern world atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. First published in 1570, the atlas contained 53 maps and achieved such success that 25 editions followed during the author's lifetime. This 1579 version mapped the St. Lawrence River quite accurately.