The Mercator Atlas of Europe; from the collection formed by the British Rail Pension Fund by SOTHEBY'S, ;

London, Sotheby's, 1996, First edition. . original pictorial heavy paper wraps, title on cover and spine, fine and clean. . 4to [27 x 21 cm]; 34, [xiv] pp, numerous colored plates and illustrations, bibliography. . Sale LN6719. A very well-illustrated description of the Sotheby's sale held in London 26 November 1996 of this famous atlas which had been previously been auctioned 17 years earlier. Mercator was the greatest cartographer of the modern era and this atlas is the most important surviving ensemble of his works anywhere and the only collection ever likely to appear for sale. It consists of the only two known autograph manuscript maps by him, the only surviving copy of his Europe wall map of 1554, other rare wall maps, etc. With detailed and scholarly descriptions. A picture of this book is available on request by email.