Collecting Antique Maps and Atlases — A Guide to Cartographic Collecting

Antique maps and atlases occupy a distinctive niche at the intersection of book collecting, art collecting, and historical artifact collecting. A great map is simultaneously a work of art (engraved, colored, often beautifully decorated), a historical document (reflecting the knowledge and assumptions of its era), and a scientific instrument (encoding geographic data in visual form). This combination of aesthetic, historical, and informational value makes maps one of the most accessible and rewarding collecting categories.

Why Collect Maps

Visual Appeal

Maps are among the most beautiful objects produced by the printing press. The finest cartographic engravings — by Mercator, Blaeu, Ortelius, and their successors — feature intricate detail, elaborate cartouches (decorative title frames), sea monsters, ships, compass roses, and hand-applied color that make them stunning display pieces.

Historical Interest

Every map is a snapshot of what was known — and what was unknown or misunderstood — at the time it was made. Collecting maps means collecting the history of discovery, exploration, and the gradual filling-in of the world’s blank spaces.

Accessibility

Unlike many rare book categories, antique maps are available across an enormous price range:

• $50–$200 — 19th-century maps from common atlases
• $200–$2,000 — 17th–18th-century maps of moderate interest
• $2,000–$20,000 — Important regional or thematic maps
• $20,000–$500,000+ — Landmark cartographic works

The Great Cartographers

Claudius Ptolemy (c. 100–170 CE)

Ptolemy’s Geographia, written in the 2nd century and first printed with maps in 1477 (Bologna edition), established the foundational framework for Western cartography. The Ptolemaic maps — based on classical knowledge, with their characteristic conic projections — were reprinted and updated throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.

Collectibility: Individual Ptolemaic maps from 15th and 16th-century editions are available and actively traded. Complete editions of the Geographia are extremely rare and valuable.

Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598)

Ortelius published the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), considered the first modern atlas. It compiled the best available maps into a uniform format with consistent engraving and presentation. The Theatrum went through numerous editions in multiple languages, and individual maps from it are among the most commonly traded antique maps.

Gerard Mercator (1512–1594)

Mercator revolutionized cartography with his 1569 world map using the Mercator projection — a cylindrical projection that represented lines of constant bearing as straight lines, making it invaluable for navigation. His posthumous Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes (1595, completed by his son Rumold) gave the word “atlas” to the language.

Willem and Joan Blaeu (Active 1596–1673)

The Blaeu family produced the most lavish and expensive atlases of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age of cartography. The Atlas Maior (1662) — published in up to 11 volumes with over 600 maps — is one of the most spectacular printed books ever produced. Individual Blaeu maps, with their rich hand-coloring and decorative cartouches, are among the most sought-after antique maps.

John Speed (1552–1629)

Speed’s Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (1611–12) established the standard for English county maps. His maps — beautifully engraved, with town plans, coats of arms, and figures in period costume — are the most collected English maps and are widely displayed.

Later Cartographers

• Herman Moll (c. 1654–1732) — Dutch-born London mapmaker whose maps of the Americas are actively collected
• Thomas Jefferys (c. 1710–1771) — Geographer to King George III, produced important maps of North America
• Lewis and Clark — Maps from the 1814 published account of their expedition are among the most valuable American maps

Types of Maps

World Maps

Maps showing the entire known world are collected for their representation of evolving geographic knowledge. World maps from the 16th century, showing the Americas as newly discovered and partially explored, are particularly desirable.

Regional and Continental Maps

Maps of specific regions — continents, countries, states, or counties — are collected by area of interest. Collectors often specialize in a particular region.

City Plans

Detailed maps and views of cities are a major subcategory:

• Bird’s-eye views — perspective views showing cities in three dimensions
• Street plans — detailed maps showing individual streets and buildings
• Panoramic views — wide-angle perspective views popular in the 19th century

Sea Charts

Nautical charts — maps designed for navigation — include portolan charts (medieval and Renaissance navigational charts on vellum), Dutch sea atlases, and British Admiralty charts.

Thematic Maps

Maps showing specific data — geological surveys, population distribution, railroad routes, military campaigns — are collected for both their informational content and their graphic design.

Evaluating Maps

Condition

Paper condition — Look for tears, staining, foxing, and losses. Maps were frequently folded, and fold lines with splits are common.

Color — Determine whether coloring is original (hand-applied at or near the time of publication) or later (added subsequently). Original color is preferred but less common; many maps were issued uncolored. Later coloring, if tastefully done, is generally accepted.

Margins — Maps with their full original margins are preferred. Trimmed margins reduce value.

Restoration — Professional restoration (infilling losses, cleaning stains, flattening folds) is common and accepted if disclosed.

Provenance

Maps extracted from identified atlases can be traced to specific editions, providing provenance. Loose maps without atlas provenance may be harder to date precisely.

Original vs. Later Impressions

Copperplate engravings can be printed repeatedly from the same plate. Later impressions may show plate wear (less sharp detail) and may be on different paper. Identifying early impressions from unworn plates is important for valuation.

Atlas Collecting

Complete Atlases

Complete atlases in their original bindings represent the cartographer’s intended presentation. They are significantly more valuable than the sum of their individual maps.

Challenges:

• Atlases are large and heavy, requiring substantial shelf space
• Bindings of large atlases are often damaged from their weight
• Complete atlases with all maps present are rarer than one might expect (maps were frequently removed for display or sale)

Broken Atlases

Individual maps extracted from atlases (“broken out”) are the primary source of antique maps on the market. While purists deplore the breaking of atlases, the practice makes individual maps available to collectors at accessible prices.

Framing and Display

Maps are one of the few categories of antique books/prints that are routinely framed and displayed. Proper framing for antique maps requires:

• UV-protective glass to prevent fading
• Acid-free matting to prevent staining
• Hinging (not adhesive mounting) to allow removal from the frame
• Avoidance of direct sunlight even with UV glass

Where to Buy

• Specialist map dealers — Dealers like Barry Lawrence Ruderman, Daniel Crouch, and Altea Gallery specialize in antique maps
• Auction houses — Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and specialist houses include maps in their sales
• Antique fairs and map fairs — Dedicated cartography fairs bring dealers and collectors together
• Online platforms — AbeBooks, eBay, and specialist dealer websites

Map collecting rewards both visual connoisseurship and historical knowledge. Every map tells a story about what its makers knew, what they imagined, and what they got wrong — and the best maps tell those stories with extraordinary beauty and craft.