More than 300 years before the space race, European map-makers were engaged in another contest of exploration. But instead of being first to set foot on a distant heavenly body, they were racing to map the one we live on. In the early 17th century, the two top contenders in this race were the houses of Hondius and Blaeu. The rivalry between these map-making families spanned generations and involved business practices that would definitely break modern copyright laws.

This beautiful and rare antique map dates to 1630 and represents an attempt by Henricus Hondius to catch up with his map-making nemesis. Willem Blaeu had recently released updated versions of some of his previous works. In response, Henricus partnered with cartographer Jan Janssonius to update Mercator's groundbreaking Atlas, which his father had purchased the plates of in 1604. This amazing old map was one of the results.