#Professor Johannes Klencke

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Klencke Atlas

The Klencke Atlas, first published in 1660 AD, is one of the world's largest atlases.

Originating in The Netherlands, it is 1.75m tall by 1.9m wide when open. It is so heavy that the British Library needed six people to carry it.

It was presented by a consortium of Dutch sugar merchants, represented by Professor Johannes Klencke (1620-1672), to King Charles II of England (1630-1685) in 1660 to mark the occasion of his Restoration to the throne.

The consortium likely hoped to gain favorable trade agreements with Britain for their sugar plantations.

[sspacegodd]

Standing almost 6 feet tall, this is the biggest book you’ll ever read - and the biggest ever produced. It takes six people to carry; flipping the page is like unrolling the tarp at a rainy football game. It's one heavy tome. A gift from the Amsterdam professor Johannes Klencke, the so-called Klencke Atlas was made in 1660 for the English King Charles II. The large maps were meant to be cut out and pasted on the wall, which sadly, never happened.

Aw.

It is a beautiful book. But unfortunately, not bathroom literature.