Robert Hooke documented the professional presence of Herman Moll in London as an engraver as early as 1678. Over the subsequent decades, Moll transformed from a tradesman selling maps from stalls into a prominent publisher of geographical works, his career spanning the late seventeenth century until his death in the autumn of 1732.
Early Career and Business Growth
Moll arrived in London during the mid-17th century, with origins potentially traced to the Netherlands or Germany. During the 1690s, he built his reputation by engraving plates for established figures such as Christopher Browne, Robert Morden, and Lea. He maintained several shop locations in London, moving from Wanley's Court to Spring Gardens near Charing Cross, and eventually settling along the Strand. By the early 1700s, he transitioned to publishing maps under his own name.
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In 1701, he contributed engravings to A System of Geography, a volume that gained significant circulation. His production expanded to include Fifty-six new and accurate maps of Great Britain and the five-volume Atlas Geographus, issued in monthly segments between 1707 and 1717. In 1715, he released The World Described, a major collection featuring thirty large, double-sided maps. He also pioneered the creation of pocket globes starting in 1710, which featured celestial spheres paired with terrestrial maps, often incorporating routes taken by William Dampier.
Political Influence and Cartographic Legacy
Moll frequently utilized his maps to advance British policy and colonial interests. His 1715 collection included the Beaver Map and the Codfish Map, both noted for elaborate cartouches that served as political messaging. The Codfish Map emphasized British claims to Newfoundland fishing rights, while his North American maps highlighted infrastructure and port locations to bolster English territorial expansion. Although his work was occasionally subject to dispute—such as his 1680s Newfoundland map involving Pointe Riche—his engravings remain highly valued for their aesthetic precision.
Professional Connections
Throughout his life, Moll maintained professional ties with notable contemporaries, including antiquary William Stukeley and the circumnavigator William Dampier. His road maps of England and Scotland were integrated into editions of Daniel Defoe's A Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain. Moll also appears in literature; Jonathan Swift referenced him in Gulliver's Travels, where the title character claims to have communicated cartographic corrections to him regarding the location of New Holland.
Fast facts
- Born: 1654, Netherlands
- Died: 22 September 1732, London
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Great Britain
- Occupations: Engraver, geographer, cartographer, publisher
- Notable Works: Atlas Geographus, The World Described
- Primary Professional Location: London
Questions readers ask
What were the Beaver and Codfish maps?
These were two of Moll's most famous large-scale maps, distinguished by elaborate cartouches that promoted British territorial and economic interests in North America.
Did Herman Moll travel to explore the regions he mapped?
There is no record of Moll undertaking exploration voyages; he worked as a London-based engraver, cartographer, and publisher who synthesized the observations of others.
Achievements
- Recorded as cartographer, engraver and publisher
