Mercator was born in Flanders , and became one of the greatest mapmakers of all time. Among his outstanding achievements was a 3-volume collection of maps to which, for the first time, the word 'Atlas' was applied. The first two parts of the Atlas were published in 1585 and 1589 and the third, with the first two making a complete edition, in 1595, the year after Mercator's death. His son Rumold was responsible for the complete edition in 1595 in which this print was first issued.

This print is a very handsome folio sheet with four maps on one sheet depicting the English islands Jersey , Guernsey , Wright and Alderney . It appears to be the first printed map of Guernsey indicating details such as the names of the parishes, St Peter Port, Castle Cornet, Lihou Island , the Braye du Vale, various named prominent offshore rocks and a linear scale is also included.