Articles
82 articles
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Cataloging Maps at Old World Auctions
This October 2023 article offers a brief overview on our approach to cataloging maps for auction. The article is divided into three key areas including how we describe a map’s physical condition, develop a catalog description, and determine an auction estimate
Mapping Cook
This August 2023 article offers a brief overview of Captain James Cook’s vast explorations and the maps that resulted. Captain Cook was an explorer, surveyor, and chartmaker who commanded three voyages. On these voyages he was able to make significant contributions to the mapping of New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.
Mapping Cortés
This July 2023 article gives an overview of the explorations and conquests of Hernán Cortés through Mexico, with an emphasis on the maps and related engravings that documented and mythologized his exploits.
Lewis & Clark: Mapping the West
This May 2023 article gives an overview of the Lewis & Clark expedition through the western United States, with particular attention to the maps and cartographic tools they used on their journey.
Mapping Drake
This March 2023 article tells the tale of Sir Francis Drake’s journey around the world, with an emphasis on how his circumnavigation voyage was reflected on maps over the centuries.
Mapping Magellan
This January 2023 article retraces the route of Ferdinand Magellan’s extraordinary circumnavigation of the world, identifying maps that showcase the places that were discovered along the way.
Auction Trends in 2022
This December 2022 article reviews the trends in the auction market for maps in 2022. We share great insights about what's selling and what's not, as well as some interesting facts and figures about Old World Auctions.
A Pictorial Glossary of Allegorical & Mythological Figures on Maps
This October 2022 article offers a pictorial glossary of the most common mythological and allegorical figures that are found on maps and title pages. Along with images of each, the glossary includes the Roman and Greek name for the deity or muse, a description of their physical characteristics and symbols, and their meaning on maps.
Frisland and the (Not So True) Adventures of the Zeno Brothers
This August 2022 article explains the story behind the mythical island of Frisland, which was purported to be located in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland. The island was reportedly discovered by the Zeno brothers in the 14th century, and was first introduced to Europeans through a fantastical account published by a Zeno ancestor in the mid-sixteenth century. The account was accompanied by a map of Frisland and adjacent fictitious islands, which enabled these fabled islands to make their way onto some of the most famous maps of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Blaeu vs. Hondius/Jansson: The Battle for Cartographic Supremacy
This July 2022 article gives a brief history of the publishing houses of Willem Blaeu and Jan Jansson, and explains how the rivalry between these two firms unfolded. As two of the best-known figures during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography, Blaeu and Jansson were prolific publishers of maps and atlases, and their works are highly prized among collectors. But who won in the battle for cartographic supremacy? This article shines a light on several factors that should be considered when crowning the cartographic king.
Duncan MacRae Payne: A Father, a Collector and a Legacy
This May 2022 article tells the story of the life, accomplishments and legacy of Duncan MacRae Payne. Over his lifetime he curated an impressive collection of maps, atlases and historical documents. His passion for cartography was infectious, even convincing his daughter and son-in-law, Eliane & Jon Dotson, to get into the map business themselves with Old World Auctions.
The Heart of Ukraine in Early Maps
This March 2022 article gives a brief history of the geography, people, and political boundaries of Ukraine, and demonstrates how the mapping of the region has changed over the centuries.
Maps Are People Too
This January 2022 article gives an overview of anthropomorphic mapping - the art of reimagining geography into human forms. Learn how anthropomorphic mapping began, and how it has evolved over the centuries.
Auction Trends in 2021
This December 2021 newsletter reviews the trends in the auction market for maps in 2021. We share great insights about what's selling and what's not, as well as some interesting facts and figures about Old World Auctions.
Texas: The Garden Spot of the World
This October 2021 article gives a brief history of the colonization and development of the great state of Texas from its time as a Spanish and then Mexican possession, to becoming an independent Republic, and finally admitted as the 28th state of the United States.
The Man Behind "The Last Great Cartographic Myth"
This August 2021 article is an interview with Don McGuirk, author of "The Last Great Cartographic Myth," an authoritative online resource dedicated to the mythical Sea of the West. Don explains how he became interested in maps and the Sea of the West, how the myth first began, and how it was depicted on maps over time.
Blame it on the Fog: Staten Island, Compagnies Land & Da Gama Land
This July 2021 article tells the story of the voyages of Maarten Gerritsz de Vries and João da Gama in the region of the Kuril Islands northeast of Japan, and how their sightings of land became confused and conflated on maps for over a century.
The Collector From the Prairies
This May 2021 article tells the story of how a map collector from Iowa got his start, time traveled through maps, and found ways to connect with history. A portion of his remarkable collection will be featured in the June 2021 sale at Old World Auctions.
A New View on the First Lithographed Map in the United States
This April 2021 article is by guest contributor Jim Kissko, founder of Camelot Books. This article makes the case for the first map that was lithographed and published in the United States.
Theodore de Bry's Grands Voyages Part I Inventory
This March 2021 article is by guest contributor Luke Vavra, former map dealer and specialist in Virginia material. This is the fourth in a four-part series about Part I of Theodore de Bry's "India Occidentalis" (America). This fourth article discusses the current inventory of existing volumes of "Grands Voyages."
82 articles
Page 1 of 5
About Us
Old World Auctions specializes in genuine antique maps, atlases and decorative graphics originating between the 14th and 19th centuries.
Recent Articles
- Cataloging Maps at Old World AuctionsCataloging Maps at Old World Auctions
- Mapping CookMapping Cook
- Mapping CortésMapping Cortés
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