1595 Mercator IOW Map

Mercator’s maps are well known for being extremely accurate for their time. In addition, he invented parallel lines of longitude to facilitate maritime navigation in addition to the first spherical display of maps to the world using a globe.

Cartographer

Gerard Mercator ( 1512 – 1594 ) , Gerard During his lifetime, the mapper and inventor Mercator was persecuted severely for his ideas and even spent time in prison for heresy. His maps were much sought after by merchants and traders because of how useful they were for navigation. For the first time, authorities and merchants alike could accurately recognise relative positions because to the maps’ adoption of a “spherical” globe.