Early Map
Vintage Maps: Décor With Direction
Vintage Maps: Décor with Direction
“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases;
It will never pass into nothingness;”
- John Keats
Maps have long enjoyed a special place in our heritage. Capturing the wayfaring spirit of the traveling adventurer, the intrigues of shifting kingdoms and political fiefdoms, the historical perspective and routes of our forefathers, and the unique colors and flavors of the world, maps offer what most pieces of vintage art do not—a romantic appeal to most everyone. With unique allure, maps can serve as focal centerpieces or merely serve as interesting accents. These attractive pieces of vintage art offer Old-World charm and captivate our fascination, even if for a brief moment, wherever they are placed, as conversation starters or as meaningful pieces with eternal appeal.
As a Design Feature
1799 Map of The World
Antique world maps encapsulate the essence of a changing world and provide unique pieces of historical romance and splashes of adventurous color to any room.
The vintage map is unique in its ability to mesh its design with virtually any type of design scheme, color palette, or enclosed space. Maps speak artfully across the ages of the desperation of esteemed ancestral émigrés, the derring-do of heroic explorers, the determination of military minds, and the doggedness of beleaguered cultures by framing time within man-made land boundaries and natural seascapes. The crisp graphics and subtle tints allow us to capture an entire era, a nation or a culture that has receded into the past but demands not to be forgotten.
The use of the vintage maps as a décor item allows us to capture a time and place which we may have never experienced directly or one that we wish to cherish as a memory. As the human lifespan extends, the length of our future makes the extent of our history seem all that more important. The vintage map can give us a starting point and a sense of direction contained in a clear and concise piece of art that will allow others to see the patterns of our personal or cultural history.
1716 Homann Map of The World
A double hemisphere map of the world by Johann Baptist Homann. Digitally retouched .
Universal Usage
Most everyone uses maps, and the vast majority of people do so with the single purpose of finding a proper route from where they are to where they want to go. In some cases, they even look to see where others have started and ended journeys. A select few, however, see the map as artistic design, perhaps even viewing it as the high expression of engraving and printing skills. Beginning in the 18th century, and well into the 20th, the wealthy, the powerful (and those aspiring to be) either used the bound, colored atlas as the centerpiece in the private library or sitting room in an attempt to demonstrate both acumen and urbanity. The cleverly displayed atlas was left open to a page denoting a recent travel experience, a troublesome current political event, or even a gloomy catastrophe in an effort to spark conversation.
Dynamic business leaders, determined politicians and high-ranking military officers have always used the imposing globe or impressive wall map to delineate the extent of their influence or the depth of their ambitions. Medieval and Renaissance governments and their commissioned discoverers kept maps as secret weapons to rile foes or foil rivals. Democratic societies distributed maps to their populations as a symbol of freedom while totalitarian regimes made maps, and the potential such documents gave for travel, off-limits to all but a few in the ruling echelons.
As an Artform
Vintage Map of Greece
Published in 1688 in Amsterdam. , originally printed on three sheets. Includes illustration of lion with enslaved human figures shown in embellished title cartouche. Views of fortified towns in outer margins.
Fortunately, maps have other uses beyond their function as travel aids. When maps first appeared on the walls of the powerful or in the atlases of the wealthy, the eye-catching beauty of the design and the power of the ability of paper and ink to evoke emotion were immediately apparent. Color, line, structure and even the calligraphy of maps could transcend the purpose for which they were originally intended. The tool became an art form unto itself. A map’s practical use could be made obsolete by war, politics or cataclysm, but the beauty of the design and quality of production gave a well-executed map an eternal appeal.
Evolution of Cartography
The first maps to be engraved, colored and printed for non-field use were produced for the most part as artworks, not as practical tools for navigators, engineers or armies on the march. In these display maps, the functional part of the chart often took up a minority of space with the majority being devoted to depicting the grandeur of the cartographer’s patrons or the novel landscapes and wondrous creatures supposedly to be found within the map’s boundaries. Other maps offered the pictorial histories of those who had traveled the depicted lands and seas. Until the 16th century, most maps had been individually hand drawn and illustrated with much the same care and artistic verve as could be found in medieval manuscripts. Just as books became mass-produced and mass consumed, so did maps, and in both cases the practical aspects of the product soon overwhelmed the artistic. Although today’s maps are far more accurate and the information infinitely more useful, modern collectors and interior designers look to the past for the finest examples of cartography for use in display or décor.
Bird's Eye View Map of San Francisco
Published in 1876 by Currier & Ives.
The Allure
There has never been a time when people have traveled as often and as far as we do today. Everybody came from somewhere and most of us want to go somewhere else. The frequency and exigencies of travel often destroy our sense of time and distance but maps return this sensibility. We not only can recapture these sensations from our own travel experience but those of our ancestors and culture. Vintage maps allow us to display pride in our own accomplishments while linking them to our lineage. Like a shelf of richly bound classic texts, a well-framed map speaks as much about the owner’s worldliness as it does about taste. Few people today can decorate their walls with portraits of stately ancestors, but that does not mean one’s ancestry is not worth celebrating. A vintage map can say as much as a hall of portraits in far less space and in a much more subdued voice.
The Variety
The choices of décor maps are many, but the effect is the same. A city map of medieval Naples, a county map of revolutionary Cork, a regional map of Provence, a Civil War map of the United States or a 16th-century map of the New World are as much conversation starters as they are symbols of the owner’s perspective on life. Some are elaborately framed or shadow boxed to match a classical interior design while others are simply shielded by a glass panel to emphasize the graphic quality of the print. Whatever the presentation method, people are instantly drawn to these displays and it takes little to encourage the viewer’s historical opinions or personal travel experiences.
Any Design Scheme, Any Budget
An artful map presentation can be used in any room and with any design scheme or within any decorating budget. Maps can be printed in any size deemed suitable and serve as an affordable means of affecting a timeless sensibility to home or office. Properly presented maps focus the eye and the intellect with a subtle mixture of graphic excellence and historical perception. Like many other forms of art, the vintage map can reduce the world while expanding the mind.
Reprinted with Permission from StockMapAgency.com. StockMapAgency.com (http://www.stockmapagency.com) offers an extensive selection of vintage maps from the 15th to early 20th century available as a museum quality art print or digital download.
About the Author
StockMapAgency.com offers an extensive selection of vintage maps from the 15th to early 20th century available as a museum quality art print or digital download. Large selection of antique US city panoramic maps as well as maps of world exploration. We offer over 2200 antique maps in several sizes to fit your budget.
Link to Site
Guide to NEW Zombie Map MOON (Early Rounds)
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1780 MAP Western Hemisphere Early works to 1800 $29.99 |
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A COLLECTION OF NOTABLE EARLY MAPS OF AMERICA - 6 MAPS $2.50 |
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St Vinvent Grenadines 1981 Early Maps set First Day Cover $2.77 |
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CA-SAN JOSE-SANTA CLARA COUNTY-MAP-OCEAN-EARLY-R70545 $9.99 |
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1967 Ohio road map Atlantic oil early interstate $6.99 |
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1969 New York road map Texaco oil early interstate $6.99 |
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VEGAS 1939 MAP BROCHURE PHOTO BOULDER DAM MT CHARLESTON VINTAGE EARLY NEVADA $12.99 |
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Unknown TIBET Early Explorer MAPS 1st Edition 1898 $450.00 |
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Early 1970's Grey Line map of San Francisco $0.99 |
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Vintage Reproduction Framed Latin Map of Early Amercia $150.00 |
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EARLY RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF PROVIDENCE, FIFTH REPORT w/map 1896 1897 Vols 10-17 $500.00 |
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The Self-Made Map: Cartographic Writing in Early Modern France by Tom Conley... $17.90 |
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Historians' Guide to Early British Maps by Helen Wallis (1994, Hardcover) $6.95 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 GEORGIA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY GORGEOUS NR $20.00 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 VERMONT NEW HAMPSHIRE HANDCOLORED MAP EARLY GORGEOUS NR $9.99 |
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EMPIRES EARLY LATIN AMERICA Davies Folio Society GIFT Edition Color Plates Maps $79.99 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 FLORIDA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY GORGEOUS w KEYS NR $24.99 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON HANDCOLORED MAP EARLY GORGEOUS NR $9.99 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 PENNSYLVANIA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD CANAL EARLY SUPERB NR $9.99 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 ALABAMA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY GORGEOUS NR $20.00 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 NORTH CAROLINA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD CANAL EARLY FINE NR $20.00 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 MISSISSIPPI HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY GORGEOUS NR $20.00 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 SOUTH CAROLINA CHARLESTON HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY NR $20.00 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 LOUISIANA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD NEW ORLEANS EARLY FINE NR $20.00 |
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GORGEOUS ANTIQUE 1856 ILLINOIS HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD CANAL RARE EARLY NR $9.99 |
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GORGEOUS ANTIQUE 1856 WISCONSIN HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD RARE EARLY NR $20.00 |
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GORGEOUS ANTIQUE 1856 IOWA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD RARE EARLY NR $9.99 |
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GORGEOUS ANTIQUE 1856 INDIANA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD CANAL RARE EARLY NR $9.99 |
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SUPERB ANTIQUE 1856 OHIO HANDCOLORED MAP W RAILROAD EARLY SUPERB FINE NR $9.99 |
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GORGEOUS ANTIQUE 1856 CALIFORNIA HANDCOLORED MAP RAILROAD EARLY FINE RARE NR $20.00 |
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2012 American Silver Eagle Early Releases NGC MS69 Map w/ Flag 3565992-150 $65.00 |
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EARLY JOHN SPEED HAND COLORED MAP SOMERSET-SHIRE ORIGINAL VGC $199.99 |
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2012 American Silver Eagle Early Releases NGC MS69 Map w/ Flag 3565992-119 $65.00 |
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2012 American Silver Eagle Early Releases NGC MS69 Map w/ Flag 3565992-120 $65.00 |
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2012 American Silver Eagle Early Releases NGC MS69 Map w/ Flag 3565992-149 $65.00 |
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Lux Mechanical Classic Timer This Lux timer is in a very attractive vibrant nickel finish. Lux timers are used all over the world in kitchens, food service, medical/dental labs, schools/offices, beauty/nail salons and in thousands of other uses. Lux timers have been an American icon since 1912. They are renowned for their quality and reliability. They are highly accurate and can be set from one-minute to one-hour. It has an a... |
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Adriatic chart, circa 1620 Photo Mugs This type of early vellum sea chart originated in the Mediterranean in the 13th century. They are often referred to as Portulan or Portolan charts, a name taken from the written sailing directions, portolani, which they supplemented and superseded, although this attribution is not always technically correct. They were drawn in coloured ink on vellum..... |
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Atlantic 5 degrees South to 56 degrees North Photo Mugs This type of early vellum sea chart originated in the Mediterranean in the 13th century. They are often referred to as Portulan or Portolan charts, a name taken from the written sailing directions, portolani, which they supplemented and superseded, although this attribution is not always technically correct. They were drawn in coloured ink on vellum..... |
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Reno & Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups: 1951-1959 $49.95 This four-disc set compiles the seminal bluegrass duo's recordings for King Records--eight years' worth of smooth harmonies, consistently inventive songwriting, and Don Reno's electrifying musicianship on the five-string banjo. The Early Years includes some beautiful gospel numbers from their first King LP, including "The Lord's Last Supper" and the well-known "I'm Using My Bible for a Road Map." ... |
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Missing Link $10.44 ... |
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The Sound $12.00 ... |
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Midsomer Murders - Set One $34.70 Acorn Media presents a beautifully realized boxed set that brings to life all the ghastliness and arch humor of Caroline Graham's intriguing mystery series. Set 1 includes four episodes: Death's Shadow, Strangler's Wood, Blood Will Out, and Beyond the Grave Each is set in a different village in the quaint but surprisingly lethal Midsomer County, complete with sharp portraits of the love and loathi... |
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Midsomer Murders: Barnaby's Casebook $98.49 Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 01/05/2010 Run time: 1680 minutes Rating: Nr... |
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Early American History: Lewis and Clark Expedition DVD (1950) $4.99 This quaint historical film dramatizes the dramatic exploration of the American West by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they set out to map a route to the Pacific Ocean from the Mississippi River. Thanks to strong performances by the Lewis and Clark portrayers, the film works extremely well and is highly entertaining. The story starts with Lewis and Clark receiving their mission from Preside... |