Map Collecting: The Next Big Thing?

Paper maps. Who needs 'em? Well apparently as physical maps are increasingly replaced by digital versions the old ones are becoming more collectible. Express India recently ran a story on the growing interest in antique maps among collectors in that country:

It is the fun of tracing unknown routes that draws people towards this shop,” says [Kapil Dev] Aryan, who opened the shop in 2000 and has seen business expand in the past couple of years. While Indians are keen on world maps, foreigners knock on the door of the small shop for old maps of India.

Sanjay Jain of RS Books and Prints, South Extension, that is famous for its collection of antique maps, says, “The love for maps is connected to the sense of discovery. It’s a real pleasure, for instance, to peruse a rare 18th century plan of the city you live in.” Getting your hands on a 16th or 17th century map is difficult, and even a small map costs Rs 5,000-10,000, [$117-$233] while 18th and 19th century maps cost at least Rs 2,000-5,000. [$47-$117]

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Now, the clientele comprises ambassadors, embassy officials, researchers, scholars and avid collectors who are kept in the loop whenever the dealer chances upon a new find. “And some of these guys drive a really hard bargain,” smiles Aryan.

See also: Japanese Take Big Interest in Historic Maps.

150-Year Old Map of Central Park Displayed

"Greensward" the huge map by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux that became the plan for the development of New York City's famed Central Park has been put on display for only the third time in history the New York Times reported:

It lays out the framework of the park as it exists today with a prescience that few master plans achieve. You could use it to navigate through many stretches of the park’s 840-acre expanse. Yet it also is a product of a long-ago, almost Arcadian time, as shown in features like a formal flower garden — never constructed — that would have been laid out as intricately as lacework.

The map is the centerpiece of “Celebrating Greensward: The Plan for Central Park, 1858-2008,” which will be on view in the old Arsenal at Fifth Avenue and 64th Street until June 19...

In addition to the map, the exhibit features 71 photographs tracking the declines and rebirths of the park through the last 150 years. The exhibit will be open this weekend and weekdays from from 9 to 5. Admission is free.

Beware of Misleading Maps

Today's opening of the London Map Fair has inspired the Times' Richard Morrison to take a look at maps that lead people astray:

A great map is much more than a navigation tool. Actually, a great map is rarely a navigation tool. It is a political and philosophical statement. What it displays, and especially what it conceals, tells us far more about the values of those who created it than about the terrain it allegedly charts.

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No map can ever tell the whole truth, if only because it attempts to chart a three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface. But thousands of maps are acts of deception, one way or another. Israel is unlabelled on many maps destined for Arab countries. Similarly, maps in the old East Berlin used to show West Berlin as white space, as if it did not exist.

What of Ordnance Survey, Britain's official map-maker? “We are not in the business of misleading users in any way,” it customarily proclaims. Except, of course, when it comes to showing military bases and government snooping centres. According to OS, they do appear — but as blank spaces. Orwell could not have made it up.

How will modern technology change mapmaking? According to Mr. Morrison, not much.

The most influential maps of the future may well be located in cyberspace. The map-makers' eternal quandary — of how much to reveal, how much to conceal, and how much to mislead for ulterior motives — will not go away.

The entire article is well worth the read.

About the fair: Held at the Royal Geographical Society, the London Map Fair is the largest gathering of map aficionados in Europe. The two-day event features 40 top dealers and hundreds of collectors and curators. Items for sale range from historic town plans for less than £100 (about $197) to a 1620 wall map of the Americas priced at £80,000 (about $157,000).

Memories of D-Day Maps

A couple of articles commemorate the 64th anniversay of the D-Day landings in Normandy from a mapping perspective.

The Evansville Courier & Press has a story about Karl Sensmeier who landed on Omaha Beach. Incredibly, Mr. Sensmeier returned home after the war with a top secret map of the beachhead. The map shows where air corps personnel would be deployed as well as locations set aside for naval units and transportation elements. The map is framed and displayed on a wall in his widow's living room along with other memorabilia.

The Allentown Morning Call recounts local reaction the invasion. In age when Google Earth could not even be imagined large maps of battlefronts in Italy, the Pacific and France were erected in the downtown square. The day after the landings it was announced that a map displaying the Normandy invasion would be erected so that citizens could feel a part of the action.

18th Century Vermont Maps Now Online

Maps dating to the 18th century have been made available online at the Vermont State Archives website the Associated Press reports:

Many have disappeared or been hidden away in dusty vaults in town clerk's offices. But now the Vermont State Archives is using digital technology to make copies of the maps accessible over the Internet so landowners, lawyers, surveyors and historians can use them to analyze colonial-era roads, boundary lines and titles.

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"Some of these records may be based on surveys and maps done 200 years ago, but they continue to have value, legal value and an informational value that has survived the centuries," [State Archivist Gregory] Sanford said.

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Besides their practical value, the Vermont maps offer a glimpse into the past. For example, a 1778 map of Royalton bears notations saying the town's four corners are marked by birch trees. Some of the 54 lots have the names of the original European owners, while others describe property as "good upland" or "level and very good."

See also: Vermont Towns Begin Mapping Ancient Roads
Old Maps Of New England Available On CD

Surveyor's Collection of Ancient Maps on Display

Maps and antique equipment collected by surveyor Dan Cory is currently on display at the New Smyrna Museum of History, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. "The Early Surveying and Mapping of Southeast Volusia County" features a copy of a 1605 map of the area, which was obtained from the St. Augustine Institute of Science and Historical Society.

The collection also highlights rare manuscript maps of surveys done of East Volusia from 1834 to 1850 as well as two full-color, full-sized Sanborn fire insurance maps of the city from 1895 and 1901. The exhibit runs through November 24, and is free.

Texas Map Exhibition Begins Tour in Dallas

An exhibition of 64 historic maps has opened in Dallas. “Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps” opened November 3, at the Old Red Museum. The exhibition features cartography dating from 1548 to 2006. The exhibition is a joint project of the Center for Texas Studies at Texas Christian University and the the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University. The maps on display are among more than 1,000 maps collected by Dallas natives Yana & Marty Davis. The collection was acquired by the Museum of the Big Bend in 2006.

After a two-year stay in Dallas, the map collection will travel around the state, ending at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth in 2010. A complete itinerary of the exhibition can be found here. General admission to the Dallas museum is $8.

Hitler's Globe to be Auctioned

A globe that belonged to Adolf Hitler could bring as much as $22,000 at auction the Daily Telegraph reported today. The globe was found by American soldier John Barsamian in the remains of the "Eagle's Nest" Hitler's mountain stronghold in the Bavarian Alps.

On entering the bunker, Mr. Barsamian, who is now 91, found the place devastated by Allied bombing and looting. However, he found the globe still in intact. He boxed it up with other keepsakes, and shipped them home.

One thing that should increase the value of this globe is the meticulous records Mr. Barsamian kept that authenticate his find. Not only does he still have the military paperwork that allowed him to bring it back to the U.S., but he also has a picture of himself in front of the bunker, holding the globe.

America's "Birth Certificate" to go on Display in New Exhibit

Two maps created in 1509 by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller will be the centerpiece of an exhibition set to open October 1, at the James Ford Bell Library in Minneapolis. The exhibition is to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the maps.

The maps were accompanied by an introductory cosmography text, Cosmographiae introductio. One is a small globe gores map, designed to be cut out and pasted onto a sphere. The other map is a 12-panel wall map. In addition to their age and rarity, the maps are noteworthy because they were the first to use the name "America" for what we now call South America. For this reason, these maps are often referred to as America's birth certificate. The maps were also the first to display newly discovered lands (both North and South America) are depicted as land masses separate from Asia.

The globe gores map was the first map known to show the whole earth. It is one of only 4 copies known to be in existence. Station KARE reports that a similar map was sold in 2005 at a London auction house for $1 million.

Purchasing Maps by the Barrel

Jim Chandler, the new owner of what is now called Barclay Publishing, has a surprise for map freaks, local historians and those in need of cheap gift wrap: He's unloading shelves and barrels full of maps from the '60s, '70s and '80s at must-move prices - 25 cents to a buck or two each...

That according to a story in today's San Jose Mercury News. Most are of the maps are of the area around San Jose, California.

With maps freely available online, few people see the need for the traditional folded paper map.

"My wife suggested I should just get a dumpster," Chandler told The News, "but I couldn't do it. Someone might have a use for these." Then he adds, "And some people are just really into maps."

Mr. Chandler, who purchased the map publishing company back in January says that most of the firm's customers these days are real estate agencies that want custom maps showing areas in detail.

See also If Maps Are Free Who Will Pay The Mapmakers?

Map Center Receives $10 Million Gift

From the Boston Globe:

BOSTON --A retired Boston developer and map aficionado has given $10 million to permanently endow the Boston Public Library's map center.

Norman B. Leventhal also is making a long-term loan of 178 of his most valuable historic maps to the library's existing map center, which is named for him.

Leventhal's loan adds to the roughly 200,000 maps already at the library.

The library's maps are being digitized and put online. That effort will now be accelerated.

Rocky Mountain Antique Map Fair

If you're in Denver, or looking for a good reason to visit, try the Rocky Mountain Antique Map Fair. The event will be Friday, September 14th and Saturday the 15th at the Denver Public Library.

One of the largest assemblages of rare maps ever gathered together in the Western United States, the fair will feature maps dating from the 1500s to today. The event is sponsored by The Rocky Mountain Map Society and boasts of a diverse group of prominent dealers from around the world.

Co-sponsor of the fair is the Denver Public Library, which is home to an outstanding collection of Western maps itself.

Admission: $5.00.

Map Expert, Author, Philip Burden to Speak in NC

Cartographic expert Philip Burden will present his lecture "The Men Behind the Maps" tomorrow at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Mr. Burden, is the author of the two volume set, "The Mapping of North America." The first volume, covering the period from 1511-1670, is widely regarding the most authoritative source on North American maps of that era.

Mr. Burden has traveled all over the world researching maps for his books as well for his firm, Clive A. Burden Ltd. of the United Kingdom. During his research, he has discovered many rare maps. He recounted to the News & Observer how he once discovered a rare map of Texas made by none other than the father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin.

Mr. Burden's rare public appearance in the U.S. is sponsored by the William P. Cumming Map Society and Gallery C, of Raleigh. The lecture will begin at 4:00 p.m. with a reception afterwards. Both are free of charge but registration is required and space is limited.

Unfortunately for those of us that dream of uncovering a rare, valuable, map in a dusty chest, or at a garage sale, Mr. Burden doesn't offer much hope. He told the News & Observer, "Most of my great finds for the research of my book have occurred in the great institutions of the world, such as the British Library and the Library of Congress."

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The Mapping of North America Volume I, available here

Historic Map Exhibit to Open April 15

Princeton University Library's Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is set to open an exhibit of historic maps of Africa, April 15. The show, "To the Mountains of the Moon: Mapping African Exploration, 1541-1880," will display examples of historic maps and European explorers' narratives from the library's collection.

The exhibition will feature historically significant maps of Africa by major cartographers such as Sebastian Müenster, Abraham Ortelius, Willem Janszoon Blaeu and Vincenzo Coronelli. The show will have a particular focus on the journeys of missionary David Livingstone, adventurer Sir Richard Francis Burton and journalist Henry Morton Stanley. "Behind each map is a great story. The exhibition documents what the men encountered on their incredible travels," said John Delaney, curator of the library's Historic Maps Collection. "On display are these explorers' published narratives, open to their own maps, illustrated with their own drawings and captioned in their own words."

Mr. Delaney expressed admiration for the cartographers who made the maps stating, "The exhibition demonstrates how improving or correcting maps of Africa was not possible without the efforts of adventurers who were willing to risk their lives in the field to prove each geographic fact."

The opening of the exhibit will be preceded by a lecture by geophysicist and expedition leader Pasquale Scaturro, at 4 p.m. in 101 Friend Center. Mr. Scaturro will speak on, "The Exploration of the Great Rivers of Africa." Mr. Scaturro organized and led the historic Nile First Descent Expedition, which traversed 3,260 miles from the mountains of Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea from December 2003 to April 2004.

The exhibition is open to the public and will run until Sunday, Oct. 21, in the main exhibition gallery of Firestone Library. Best of all, it's free.

See also: Ancient African Maps Posted Online.

Update: Ancient Japanese Maps

The Map Room linked to my post on the growing popularity of old maps among Japanese. Thanks to the comments of "broccoli" you can view the maps here. Then follow these instructions:

The old maps are in the left hand column, and there's one more page after you click that one to choose which topic you want. For example, to see the Natsume Soseki map mentioned in the article, you choose the second choice in the left column on the first page, then the first choice on the second page. Once you get to the maps, the four tabs at the top are (left to right) Edo era, Meiji era, Modern, and Aerial Photos.

I liked the addition of the modern day aerial photos. It's amazing to see that some areas have remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

Original post here.

Japanese Take Big Interest in Historic Maps

Old maps of Japan are "in" according to the Japan Times:

"Recently, maps priced relatively high -- at about 3,000 yen -- have been selling well," said Toshiyuki Mizutani of Shiryo Shuppan, a map-publishing firm in Tokyo. The company sells reproductions of about 40 maps of Tokyo and other locations in Japan.

At one Tokyo bookstore, people of all ages on their way home from work stop to look at old maps. Map sales at bookstores are growing as people use them to take historical walks around Tokyo and to decorate their homes.

The Times says the new interest in old maps was sparked by Yahoo Japan Corp.'s new Tokyo historic map service, "Tokyo Tours With Old Maps." In addition to the historic maps the website has trivia questions about the location of current and historic events.

Among the best selling reproductions are maps from the Edo Period, and maps from the Genroku Period (1688-1704) which have been the subject of popular fiction.

Market for 19th Century Maps Strengthening?

Old World Auctions announced the results of it's recently concluded auction of old maps. The online map auction site's top sale was a Colonial-era map of New England by Dutch cartographers Hugo and Carolus Allard.

Executed about 1680, the rare map commemorated the Dutch recapture of New York, and is one of the earliest depictions of the wall, from which Wall Street gets its name. It sold for $12,320 to a Dutch collector.

What I found intriguing was the company's report that many 19th century maps sold for much more than past estimates. Previously, maps of this era had been ignored by many collectors as “too new.”

Examples:

• An 1870 map of Illinois by George Cram went for $2,240, far more than the firm's estimate of $180 - $220.
• An 1883 railroad map from Rand McNally, titled “Iron Mountain Route to Arkansas, Texas and California,” (depicted above) brought $476;
• A rare 1878 railroad map illustrating the route from Kansas City to Denver, saw strong bidding at $896.

“It was typical for prices to sail past the high estimates,” Diane Kelly of Old World Auctions said. “It really illustrates the strength of the map collecting genre. It's small but growing, and now is a good time to jump in. You can still find excellent buys.”

Now obviously, Ms. Kelly might be just a little bit biased, working for a map auction company. However, she just might be right. If you appreciate old maps, now might be a good time to pick up a few. So get out to those garage sales, flea markets, and antique malls and start hunting.

Rare Atlas Goes For £670,000

That rare copy of the first printed atlas of England and Wales, regarded as a prime example of early map making, has sold for £669,600 (about $1.3 million) at a Sotheby's auction, the BBC reported:

The work, by the Wakefield surveyor Christopher Saxton, also has a rare set of charts depicting Sir Francis Drake's journey to the West Indies and America.

Printed between 1579 and 1590, it runs to 40 pages of maps and plates - a landmark in Elizabethan cartography, a spokesman for Sotheby's said.

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The charts illustrating Drake's voyage across the Atlantic from 1585 to 1586 were made by Giovanni Battista Boazio.

The atlas was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder, and was sold at the high end of its expected price.

See also: Rare Elizabethan Atlas to be Auctioned

Rare Elizabethan Atlas to be Auctioned

If you collect old maps, I hope you've been saving. Leeds Today says that a rare copy of a map made by a pioneering surveyor from Wakefield in the 16th century is expected to bring more than £500,000 (almost $973,000 U.S.) at auction later this month.

The copy of one of the first printed atlases of England and Wales by "the father of English cartography" Christopher Saxton is to be auctioned at Sotheby's on March 15.

The 40 page atlas was printed between 1579 and 1590, and is considered a landmark in Elizabethan cartography.

If a million dollars is a little out of your budget, there's an interesting article with pictures of some of the pages of the atlas here.

The Self-Taught Scientist Who Surveyed a Capitol

Yesterday's Times Herald-Record has a brief profile of one of the most fascinating scientific figures of early American history, Benjamin Banneker. Born in 1731, the free son of a slave, Mr. Banneker was a self-taught clock maker, astronomer, and surveyor, as well as a best-selling author. Those may seem like odd combinations today. However, in colonial times, clock makers frequently crafted a wide range of scientific instruments. He surveyed what became Washington, D.C.

While the credit for the design of Washington D.C. usually goes to Maj. Andrew Endicott and French architect Pierre L'Enfant, it was Mr. Banneker who did most of the actual work. When Mr. L'Enfant became angry with his superiors and abandoned the project, taking the only set of design plans with him, President George Washington proposed hiring a new architect. Instead, Mr. Banneker created an entire new set of plans, from memory, saving the young U.S. Government untold amounts of time and money.

Mr. Banneker's scientific expertise was so well known in the newly formed states that his "Benjamin Banneker's Almanac," was a best-seller from 1792 to 1797.

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The best work on Banneker is by Silvio A. Bedini, who was a curator a the Smithsonian: