Calligraphy – An Aid to Cartography?

Abstract

Calligraphic analysis goes beyond general styles of writing and kind of writing materials used; it attempts to isolate the characteristic features of a script and the scribe’s personal performance. Specimens from various periods of Gerard Mercator’s cartographic work are examined and compared, including a map recently discovered that, after calligraphic analysis, can be identified as almost certainly by Mercator. The importance of calligraphic analysis for determining cartographic attributions is discussed.