Orbis habitabilisis a rare and interesting book of illustrations of towns and costumes. In many cases a plate of a town is followed by one showing the costume of the inhabitants with the town in the background, as is shown in this view of London. The images are excellent in design and execution, and wide-ranging and comprehensive in subject matter. Allard is considered to be the first compiler of a town book to couple the plates this way. Orbis habitabilis comprises 28 views of European towns (including four costumes), 24 Asian towns (including 4 costumes), 24 African towns (including six costumes) and 24 American towns (including 8 costumes). The text for the book was in Latin by Ludolph Smids, a Groningen doctor and antiquary who settled in Amsterdam in 1685. The plates are by Aldert Meyer and Thomas Doesbergh, and Allard himself closely supervised the engraving of the plate
