Fredrik Henrik af Chapman (1721-1808) was one of the foremost and most influential ship designers of his time, even by international standards. In Architectura Navalis Mercatoria he compiled examples of the best and most interesting ships of the time, ranging from schooners and small fishing boats to large warships, in some cases so ambitious that it was not realistic for any country in Europe to actually build them. The present original edition is a sought-after rarity among collectors and institutions worldwide and rarely appears on the market - it is believed that most copies were simply used up. Chapman's original copper plates for the illustrations are, however, preserved in the Swedish Maritime Museum, which recently made a major effort with high-resolution scans of the plates.