Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas

An important and successful work of cartography is Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas (General Atlas), after Richard Andree (1835-1912), published by Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld and Leipzig, Germany.

By using chromolithography, rather than copper plate engraving, but reproducing the maps from zinc plates that were etched in relief (just like letterpress printing), V & K was able to offer detailed maps at a much lower price than competing works, such as the 7th and 8th editions of Stielers Handatlas. The 1937 edition of Andrees Handatlas was printed using offset printing.

The first edition appeared in 1881. The 4th and 5th editions were edited by Albert Scobel (1851-1912); the 6th through 8th editions, by Ernst Ambrosius; and the final edition, by Konrad Frenzel. Cartographers were G. Jungk (†1932), R. Kocher, E. Umbreit (†1904), A. Thomas (†1930), H. Mielisch (†1925), and K. Tänzler (†1944) although production of a number of maps was contracted out to geographical institutes like Peip, Wagner & Debes, Sternkopf, Sulzer.

Editions for other countries were also issued:
*Österreichisch-Ungarischer (Austrian-Hungarian) editions were published in Vienna in 1904, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913.
*Three editions of "Andree's Stora Handatlas" were published in Stockholm (1881, 96 pages of maps; 1899 andra, 130 large maps and 140 inset maps; and 1907 tedje, 143 large maps and 163 inset maps), with additional maps of Scandinavia. The verso text and the introductory material was in Swedish.
*The maps of Andree's atlas were used for Cassell's "Universal Atlas," which was published in London in 1891-1893 using maps printed in Leipzig in English; and for the Times Atlas of 1895-1900.

Editions of a "Geographisches Handbuch" (Geographical Handbook) for Andrees "Handatlas" were issued in 1882, 1894, 1895 (2nd edition), 1898-1899 (3rd), 1902 (4th) and 1909 (5th).

Other well-known titles of Velhagen & Klasing were Putzgers (after F.W. Putzger, †1913) "Historischer Schulatlas" (Historical School Atlas; 1877, as "Historischer Weltatlas" or Historical Worldatlas; 100th ed. 1979), "Grosser Volksatlas" (Large Peoples Atlas, 1935) and "Grosser Wehratlas" (Large Military Atlas, 1937). Founded 1835, the firm was taken over by F. Cornelsen in 1954, and is now fully merged into that company.

Sources: [http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/hylib/en/kvk.html Karlsruhrer Virtueller Katalog]

External links

* Scans from [http://www.geneabase.com/sample.htm Andrees 4th edition (1899)] 1700 full-screen maps on 2 CDs are available and fully indexed.
* Web archive of the great German Hand-Atlases. Andrees of all decades online: [http://www.handatlas.de/ handatlas.de]