Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel

Dapper, Olfert. Jaffa "Jaffa vulgo Joppen..." Amsterdam Jacob Meurs 1677
Copper engraved view of Jaffa from Olfert Dapper's " Asia...Naukeurige beschryving van gantsch Syrie, en Palestyn of Heilige Lant." Double page; black & white ; verso blank.
The view looks at the city from the sea; large ship firing a broadside in the foreground. Dark impression; lightly toned; margins trimmed close just touching image at top.

Dapper was born in a working-class district of Amsterdam, in around 1635. He was baptised at the Lutheran church in January 1636. In May 1658, he enrolled at Utrecht University and two years later was signing himself "doctor medicinæ", although there is no evidence that he ever received any medical training. Unlike his contemporaries, he never had his portrait reproduced in his books.

Following a growing publishing trend in Amsterdam, Dapper was just over thirty when he embarked on the geographical research that was to occupy him for the rest of his life. He threw himself into a vast undertaking, tackling first Africa (1668), then China (1670), Persia and Georgia (1672), Asia (1677) Arabia (1680) the Greek Archipelago and The Morea both in 1688
301 by 364mm (11¾ by 14¼ inches).   ref: 2019  €300