Cornelis Cruys (June 14, 1655 - June 14, 1727) was a Norwegian sailor and naval officer, best known for his service in the Dutch Navy, and later the Imperial Russian Navy on behalf of Tsar Peter the Great, under whom he rose to an admiralship. He was born Niels Olufsen in Stavanger, Norway. Eventually, he moved to the Dutch Republic, changing his name in the bargain. He married in Amsterdam in 1681, by which time he had already been captain of a merchant ship for a year. He became a citizen of the city seven months later. He continued as a merchant until 1696, when he joined the Dutch Navy. He received a posting as Naval Depot Master in Amsterdam, but he did not stay. Following Peter I of Russia's famed visit to the Dutch Republic in 1697, Cruys was one of the first sailors and skilled workers to accompany Peter back to Russia; he would enter Peter's service as a vice admiral of the navy and an advisor on nautical and naval matters. Under Cruys' guidance, Russia built a modern navy essentially from scratch. Cruys was tasked with building a Black Sea fleet to counter Turkey in the south; Cruys was then given the Mayoralty of the newly-founded Don fortified port of Taganrog, which guarded the approaches to the Don River from the Sea of Azov. He would serve as commander of the Russian Baltic fleet in the opening years of the Great Northern War with Sweden. He continued in his service in Russia for a quarter of a century, attaining the rank of Admiral in 1721. He died in 1727. Cruys is credited with having produced the first detailed, printed charts of the Sea of Azov and the Don River. More by this mapmaker...

Hendrick Doncker (1626 - 1699) (a.k.a. Henri Donker) was a Dutch bookseller and publisher of sea charts and nautical atlases active in Amsterdam during the middle part of the 17th century. He maintained a presence on Nieuwe Brugsteeg, Amsterdam. He married Elizabeth Abrahamsd Rensing in 1647. Doncker was somewhat unique to this period in that he did not copy the work of earlier cartographers, instead producing his own map. Moreover, Doncker's charts were widely admired for their constant revision and overall accuracy. In addition to producing his own charts, he also collaborated with Pieter Goos and Anthonie Jacobsz to producing the pilot guide De Zeespiegel. Following his 1699 death, Doncker's remaining stock and valuable map plates were acquired by Johannes van Keulen. He was survived by a daughter, Anna Doncker. Learn More...

Joachim Ottens (1663 - 1719) and his sons Renier (? - 1750) and Joshua (? - 1765) Ottens were prominent Dutch booksellers and map publishers from about 1680 to 1790. Joachim, the founder of the firm, was initially employed as a copperplate engraver by Frederick de Wit. In 1711 Joachim founded his own firm. Though Joachim died only a few years later, his sons Renier and Joshua took over the firm and presided over its most prolific period. The Ottens family's most notable contribution to cartography were its enormous made-to-order multi-volume atlases such as the Atlas Major. Some examples of the Atlas are compiled from over 800 separately issued maps. Learn More...