When published in 1590, this 1585 map was the first English-drawn map of the first English colony in America. It was also the most accurate and detailed representation of this part of the New World made available to Europeans.

Its historical importance is matched by its beauty. It is adorned with the Royal Arms of England and it flaunts detailed drawings of sailing ships and sea monsters in its ocean. The land mass is populated by Indians in native costume and lovely, intricate renderings of indigenous trees. Both its compass rose and distance scale are extremely ornate.

About John White

White was an English artist who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on his 1585 expedition to found the first British colony in America. He was one of the first to illustrate and chart the geography of the New World.

White assisted Raleigh in the selection of Roanoke Island as the location for the colony and became its governor a year later. After struggling to establish the colony, he returned to England in 1587 to obtain needed supplies. When he finally returned to Virginia in 1590, Roanoke was deserted and there was no clear indication about the fate of the colonists. Many explanations have been developed, but the mystery has never been definitively solved.