Antique maps at MAP WORLD, London
Dealers in antique maps and atlases since 1982.
Antique maps recorded a new Western age of exploration, following the invention of printing in the late fifteenth century.
Antique maps were vital for navigation, establishing trade routes and empire building. For many years antique maps were the only way in which people could know where the various countries and cities of the world were.
For nearly 400 years, antique maps were mostly made by engraving copper plates, which meant that every line and word had to be cut as a mirror image of its printed form. Although a copper plate could take several months to engrave, only a few hundred antique prints could be made as copper was relatively soft, so that antique maps were relatively rare and expensive. Today, perhaps only 20 per cent of all antique maps have survived, more than half of which are in public collections.
Map World prides itself on always having for sale a balanced collection of rare antique maps of all parts of the world, from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries and from old wall maps to miniatures.
Please contact us if you would like prices of specific antique maps or if you have antique maps for sale.
We also stock a range of antique (original) prints and maps, which reflect London's history. (Click on our London gallery above for examples of our antique prints.) Many antique prints of London are extremely rare because they were issued as individual fragile pieces of paper, rather than bound together. Antique prints of London are therefore a golden opportunity for investors who love London. Read More...
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