Pieter Goos

He was the first to map Christmas Island, which he labelled "Mony" in his map of the East Indies, published in his 1666 Zee-Atlas (Sea Atlas). His Atlas ofte Water-Weereld (Atlas or Water World) has been cited as one of the best maritime atlases of its time. Another of his fine works was the Oost Indien (East Indies) map published in 1680.

The recorded working language is Dutch. Places of work recorded in the authority are Amsterdam. Work by Pieter Goos is recorded in the collections of Minneapolis Institute of Art, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France and National Maritime Museum.

• Name — Pieter Goos • Birth Name — Pieter Goos • Born — 1616 • Died — 1675 • Birthplace — Amsterdam • Place of death — Amsterdam • Parents — Father, Abraham Goos and mother Stijntgen Theunisdr de Ram • Children — One son, Henrik Goos • Illustration — Pieter Goos' map of the East Indies (1660) • Illustration — Detail of his East Indies map showing Christmas Island

Goos was born in 1616 into a cartographer's family in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His father, Abraham Goos, was an established cartographer having published globes as well as land and sea maps at Antwerp. His mother was Stijntgen Theunisdr de Ram. In Antwerp, his father had associated with Jodocus Hondius and Johannes Janssonius. Goos followed in his footsteps, first creating pilot books and then moving into global sea atlases to assist navigation. His son, Henrik Goos, followed in the family tradition of cartography and publishing.

Goos operated from Amsterdam, which was the focal point of cartography (as Antwerp was affected by war) and also trade during the seventeenth century. The Dutch maps were very detailed, colourful and attractive.

Goos' famous world map titled Atlas ofte Water-Weereld was in two parts, one for each hemisphere. The colourful presentation included the two poles. His maritime maps encompassed not only Europe, Great Britain and Ireland but also the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The Zee Atlas covered the English Channel, the Mediterranean and the Arctic Ocean as well as the Indian and Pacific Oceans. He also published regional maps covering the coastal areas of all the continents, facilitating navigation by including details of sandbars, sea depths and the islands near the coast. A particular feature of the Goos maps was that they were embellished with "large descriptive cartouches" supplemented with sketches of ships, compass cards, and wind roses. His sea atlas of 1666, one of the most complete maritime atlases in existence in the second half of the seventeenth century, contained a frontispiece which featured ships in combat. Printed on thick paper with gilding, people bought the colourful maps just to decorate their offices and homes. At least one of Goos' atlases was published by his widow.

• Illustration — 1658 Paskaart Europa: Pieter Goos • Illustration — 1660 De Texel Stroom & De Mase: Pieter Goos • Illustration — 1666 Orbis Terrarum (World Map): Pieter Goos • Illustration — 1666 Nieu Nederlandt (New Netherland): Pieter Goos • Illustration — map of south Asia, southwest Asia, Australia, and the Indian Ocean

Pieter Goos is recorded as cartographer, instrument maker, publisher, copper engraver and editor.