A study of two atlas fragments (1573 Ortelius and 1658 Mercator/Jansson) was undertaken to find an explanation for the presence of white areas, often found in the deteriorated brown paper of 16th- and 17th-century Dutch atlases. Covers the general history and technology of cartography in the Netherlands, including papermaking and printing procedures. Scientific analysis was carried out using beta radiography, fiber analysis, pH value, electron microprobe analysis, and x-ray diffraction. Although no definite conclusions were drawn about the white areas, it was discovered that the paper had also been damaged by the use of azurite pigment.