Galle, Philip (1537 - March 1612)

Philip Galle (1537 – March 1612) was a Dutch publisher, best known to the map world for his role as Abraham Ortelius' longtime publisher. He also was active in publishing engraved prints of the paintings of old masters, which he also engraved. Galle was born in Haarlem in the Netherlands, where he was a pupil of humanist and engraver Dirck Volkertszoon Coornhert. He married Catharina van Rollant in 1569. They had five children who later became active as artists. He worked for a time under Antwerp and publisher and engraver Hieronymus Cock, and began independent work in 1563. He moved to Antwerp about this time, across the street from Abraham Ortelius; he was a friend of printer Christopher Plantin. He took over Cock's publishing business in 1570 managed Cock's press and succeeded Cock in 1570 and was received as a citizen of Antwerp the following year. His publishing house proved successful and his heirs continued the business well into the next century.