5 Ways to Start Building a Map Collection or, a Beginner's Thoughts on "a Beginner's Guide" to Map Collecting

I came across this post on the Map Room Blog. In it, the author of the Map Room makes a few short comments about this article, in which the author talks about his new-found passion for collecting maps, specific British Ordinance Survey maps.

It made me realize a few things: 1) People collect maps that aren't necessarily old 2) there are dozens of ways to structure a map collection.

Honestly, the thought of collecting new maps, and things like road maps, has little appeal to me. I do love looking at maps of all kinds, but collecting, for me, means old, antique or otherwise unique maps.

I thought--especially in light of the upcoming Miami International Map Fair--I'd provide a list of things a new map-collector may want to consider when structuring or curating their collection. Of course, take your advice from who it comes: I'm an amateur and have my own reasons for collecting!

1)  Location Depicted: some people may want to collect only maps of a specific location. This allows you to build a collection that is deep, but potentially narrow. If you choose some place in Europe, your collection could potentially be quite large and cover a very long period of time, showing evolution over time.

2)  Location Made: Different countries have different traditions of map making. It's sometimes fascinating to see how, at different periods of time, some maps from different countries will show the same place quite differently. It's also sometimes fascinating to see maps of familiar places labeled in different languages. Some maps even show longitude differently, based on a place like Washington D.C. or Paris, instead of Greenwich.

3)  Age: Some people only want old maps. Some people, like the author of the article the Map Room commented on, only want relatively recent maps. I can see how--especially those with money--could be attracted to medieval maps, or original maps of early exploration, while others may prefer maps of the Victorian era, or from the colonial period of one country or another.

4)  Cartographer: Some map makers, like Blaeu, Mitchell, Johnston and Colton are well known and prolific, though some are rarer than others. I can see how someone may fall in love with a certain style (Blaeu's maps are particularly beautiful) and just want to amass as many maps by the same map maker as possible.

Blaeu's maps are undeniably gorgeous

5)  Specific Attributes: I realize this is a broad category, but there are so many ways to curate a collection that choosing a common element for all the maps in your collection is a good way to go. I prefer to collect maps only of places I've actually visited or been to (with rare exceptions). One may also consider a collection of maps linked to their family's genealogy. I've seen auctions for important military maps from various wars, or you can choose only to collect maps with blank spaces on them, or with sea monsters!

Some people may just enjoy maps and collect whatever they come across that tickles their fancy. That's great. For starting out though, I think it's probably worthwhile to have a sense of where you're going with your collection and what you're collecting for. I tend to have a good idea of the kinds of maps I want. That said, I can't pass up a dusty old book or map shop without going in to browse, even if I don't think they'll have what I want. The hunt is so much of the fun!

My First Map

If you took a minute to visit my "Why I'm Mappy" page you'll have seen that my first ever antique map purchase was from and is of Paris, though it's actually titled: "Seine".

I doubt that this is a particularly rare or valuable map, but I know very little about it, and my normally good online map research skills have come up a bit short.


The map indicates that it's from France's Atlas Departemental, and upon closer look it's clear that this is not really a map of Paris, but really of it's environs.



If you look at the center of the map, what would be the core of Paris, there's very little detail. There are a few clues to the maps age though. The first being the really gorgeous view at the top of the map.

It has images of "les Invalides" and Notre Dame, but not the Eiffel Tower, which was built in the late 1880's. Also, a close look at the map seems to show some rail-lines, which weren't built before the 1830's, so the map is probably somewhere in that range. The map also includes some statistics about Paris, and notes that it's population is 815,000 inhabitants. That helps me date the city too, since Wikipedia suggests that that last time the city had that sized population was around the mid-1830's.

Stats on Paris, showing 815,000 inhabitants

I don't know if this is the prettiest, or most interesting map in my collection, but it has a special place in my heart because it was the one that started it all for me.

Another thing I love about this map is that there are some places where it's been, at least a little, marked-up. It's one of those reminders that this is a piece of history and that I am certainly not the first to have owned it.

A rail-line and some markups

I'd be thrilled to have anyone with any insights tell me more about it.