Published with the Nuremberg Chronicle (Liber cronicarum), this map presents a popularized version of the Ptolemaic projection. Stripped of mathematical references, it shows the image of the world produced by the rediscovered geometric method. This adaptation was typical of the Chronicle, in which existing ideas and materials were simply copied from a range of sources. Ostensibly a history of the world, the book offered a mixture of fable, theology, fact, and fiction—as evidenced by the catalog of creatures believed to exist in faraway lands. The Sons of Noah, now well-established cartographic embellishments, appear on the map’s periphery.
The heart of the Chronicle’s innovation was in the publication itself. More than 1,800 illustrations made from 652 woodblocks gave the story an unprecedented visual impact. The enterprise that produced the work was equally monumental. Led by Anton Koberger, it was the first in which a type foundry, printing presses, and a sales channel were combined in a single, well-financed effort. The operation marked the inception of the modern publishing business, and its success swiftly made Koberger the largest, most profitable publisher in Europe. Work on the Chronicle also provided early employment for his godson, the young Albrecht Dürer.