Questions and Answers

Having been in the antiquarian map business for the past 15 years we have been asked many questions about buying old maps and sea charts. 

What is an antique map? 
Where do you find them? 
As Antique Maps were published since the late 15^th century
O how many have survived, and in what condition? 
What is the difference between a map and a chart? 
How can I tell an original from a reproduction? 
How do you calculate prices and values? 
After I purchase a map or chart how should it be framed? 

In the following paragraphs you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions and we hope this information will help you to experience the pleasure of visiting our other web pages and looking at our map lists with a greater understanding of the joy of acquiring antique maps and sea charts. 

What is an antique map?

Above R. BONNE "L'Ancien Monde et le Nouveau en deux Hemispheres"

Where do you find the antique maps you sell?

Maps and sea charts have been collected since the 16^th century by royalty, government and public figures, historians, geographers, the clergy, intellectuals and people with maritime interests. Also, collectors include wealthy landowners & businessmen with castles and manorial estates. Many of whom had libraries where maps were stored along with books, and only brought out on special occasions to impress visitors or to pore over with navigators & explorers prior to voyages or land expeditions.

Today, when large estates are sold the contents of these old libraries are put into auction and maps and atlases find their way onto the open market on an international basis. In addition, Map Fairs take place regularly in Europe as well as in major U.S. cities and sometimes a collector will change his collecting interests & dispose of part of his collection.  This can be a plus for dealers, as rare or scarce items may come back onto the market and can be acquired for a special client or another private collector. As a dealer, buying maps for resale involves not only expertise and a fine knowledge of the subject, but also luck and the ability to be in the right place at the right time when a fresh collection of maps becomes available.

As Antique Maps were published since the late 15^th century, how many have survived and in what condition?

Most of the very early maps on the market today were printed on handmade rag paper which was more durable and stronger in content than the maps printed in the mid to late 19^th century on wood pulp paper. It was the acid in the wood pulp paper that caused staining and brittleness in the 19^th century maps and prints, often requiring conservation treatment to repair & de-acidify them.

Some of the earliest maps were published using a woodblock method, but copper  plate engraving soon replaced woodcuts and most 17^th & 18^th century maps were engraved using this method. However, copper being a relatively soft metal, only about 1000 impressions could be taken off the plate before it needed re-etching. So maps went through numbers of editions after the original and each time the plate was re-etched, if new information was available, it would be included in the re-issued map. In the 19^th century steel engraving replaced the copper plate. Steel, being much harder than copper, produced  many more impressions, so the editions of maps issued at that time were considerably greater than in earlier years.

What is the difference between a map and a chart?

How can I tell an original map from a reproduction?

The term ‘original’ as opposed to reproduction refers to the original engraving of a cartographer’s work from the year it was originally produced and dated. A reproduction is a facsimile of the same map produced at a later date by commercial printing methods for duplication. In determining if a map, or chart, is an original nothing takes the place of experience, but there are a few basic tips a buyer can use.

Most early maps were produced using handmade rag paper. By holding an original map up to the light you will see the chain & wire marks, or the impression of the grid that the pulp was pressed onto to dry. Watermarks can also sometimes be seen in the paper. Secondly, the texture of handmade rag paper is slightly rough to the touch. Run your fingers over it lightly and you’ll feel the texture, but don’t rub your fingers over the image as oils from the fingers can be destructive to the engraving. Thirdly, a plate mark is usually evident around the perimeter of the map image. This is the impression made by the edge of the copper plate itself.

As reproductions have been mostly produced using lithographic processes, and on commercial grade paper, the appearance of the image is flat and smooth to the touch. Under magnification, printed dots appear over the surface. There are no plate marks or, incised lines, on the image.

On the left is a thumbnail of a reproduction and on the right is a thumbnail of the original. Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

How do you calculate prices and values?

When valuing a map, or chart, a dealer considers all of the following. Is the map rare? Is it scarce? Are there likely to be multiple copies on the market? What is it’s condition? And of course what did it cost?  Obviously, finding a centuries old map in perfect or excellent condition is rare. Defects occur from browning, which is sometimes referred to as ‘age toning,’ to worm holes, splits along folds and dark staining which occurs down centerfolds of maps bound into atlases. Offsetting also appears on maps bound into books where the oils in the old inks were not dried sufficiently prior to binding and the images offset onto the map on the next page. Some dealers use professional paper conservators to clean,, repair and de-acidify maps and charts prior to putting them on the market. Some don’t, so always discuss condition with your dealer prior to a purchase

After I purchase a map or chart how should it be framed?

Click on thumbnails for larger view.

Books on Collecting Antique Maps can be found on our website. Specifically Collecting Old Maps by F. J. Manasek. Collecting Antique Maps by Jonathan Potter, and Antique Maps by Moreland and Bannister.

20 West Cundy's Point Road
Harpswell, ME 04079
Phone (207) 729-1329 - Fax (207) 729-0385
E-mail jackie@gracegalleries.com