Carel Allard (c. 1648 - 1709)

Born and baptised in Amsterdam on 19 January 1648, Carel Allard was the eldest son of Hugo (Huich) Allard (1627–1684), a distinguished cartographer, engraver, and map seller whose business was located on Dam Square. Following his father’s death, Carel inherited the enterprise along with its extensive collection of engraved plates.

Active as an engraver, publisher, and art dealer, Carel Allard belonged to a prominent lineage of Dutch mapmakers. He published a wide range of material including maps, topographical views, news prints, and ethnographic scenes, frequently reusing and adapting plates inherited from his father or acquired from other contemporary sources.

In October 1683, Allard obtained a 15-year privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland, securing exclusive rights to produce and sell maps, town plans, portraits, and prints—offering him both legal protection and a competitive commercial edge in a saturated publishing market.

Among his most notable works are the Atlas Minor (1697) and the Atlas Major (c. 1705), both comprising finely engraved copperplate maps with original outline colouring. His cartographic output includes highly decorative and scientifically styled works such as the Planisphærium Terrestre, a world map surrounded by inset hemispheres, as well as separate continental maps of America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. These works were admired for their visual refinement and contributed to the stylistic and intellectual development of cartography during the Enlightenment.