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A Condensed Digital Travelers Guide:
Web Resources for Map Collectors & Enthusiasts
By
Joel Kovarsky
© 2004-2010
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Very few people will contest the sheer vastness of information on the web. There are so many bits and bytes that the notion of "information poisoning" might be considered a legitimate diagnosis, at least as an emotional, if not physical, disorder. Yet this blizzard of sites and details carries with it the promise of the most diversely accessible public education ever seen. In spite of all legitimate criticisms about the fleeting and unedited nature of these sites, technocrats, scholars and amateurs of all sorts are already hard at work to improve the quality of this public experience. Few expect the process to be quick or simple, but many can agree on the enormous potential to inform, not unlike the revolutions engendered with the appearance of radio and television.
Collectors of all types flock to the web, sometimes with mixed emotions. eBay is an international economic phenomenon. Access to out-of-print books and old papers has been revolutionized, whatever the attendant aggravations. I do not want to overstate this case, or understate the continued importance of brick and mortar institutions, since with any new technology opportunity and difficulty seem to trip hand in hand. But any modern map collector would be unwise to ignore the web, however much nostalgia might be held for the musty smells and quiet corners of one's favorite shop. In addition, if dealers wish to expand their clientele and collectors their aggregate numbers, it will be necessary to embrace the web and all its foibles. There are younger generations growing up in this digital world, it is a place where many work and play, and if you wish to reach that group, you have to go there.
This is not intended to be an encyclopedic review. On one level, that simple statement is a clichθ. On another, it reflects the different face presented by the physical world of the book, its fixed and relatively permanent nature after publication, as opposed to the more fleeting and untouchable web world.
Most of the sites I have chosen are in English, in part because this is understood by the broadest group of collectors, but also because of my own lack of facility with other languages. For those I have offended for leaving out a favorite site or including a site thought less than intellectually adequate, mea culpa. A number of excellent sites are not referenced here. But I have enjoyed the challenge of attempting to reduce the enormous amount of available information to a few manageable pages, which will hopefully be of use to others. While my choices may, at times, appear arbitrary, those fourteen categories described below cut across a broad swath of the available online information. This should help some collectors, particularly those less familiar with what is available on the web. You will notice a complete absence of direct references to books on collecting old maps. This is intentional, given the topic at hand, although some of those titles will appear within the chosen links. (Some of these titles may be found within the links provided in section 8 below.)
1. Large General Sites
Oddens' Bookmarks - This is unquestionably the most encyclopedic web site with respect to every aspect of map reference. It is searchable, and the link provided here is to the newer version of the site. The site was started Roelof Oddens, of the University of Utrecht's Faculty of Geosciences.
Map History / History of Cartography - This site is maintained by Tony Campbell, former Map Librarian of the British Library. It has over 100 pages of searchable information focused on its chief subject. Take a look at the summary page to get familiar with the general offerings of this extensive site. There are also general pages for map collecting and the general commercial marketplace.
2. Map Libraries and Collections - This focuses, though not entirely, on sites with larger image collections.
Library of Congress: Geography and Map Division
David Rumsey Cartographic Collections - This extends beyond the better-known site focusing only on his private collection.
Newberry Library - The Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography and the online Newberry Library Cartographic Collection page. The single maps cataloged within the latter site are not available via OCLC's WorldCat.
Perry-Castaρeda Library Map Collection (Univ. of Texas)
United States Military Academy Digital Map Library and United States Military Academy Atlas Collections.
The Napoleonic Series Map Archives
New York Public Library Map Division
Osher Map Library (Univ. of Southern Maine)
American Geographical Society Cartographic Collection
British Library Map Collections - Their map descriptions are searchable via a trial interface at COPAC, which is not a digital image catalogue.
IKAR Map Database - Map catalogue representing a consortium of German libraries, now numbering well over 200,000 maps (textual entries only), mostly prior to 1850. Manuscript items are excluded. This is the explanatory page, and the actual search page may be reached here.
Harvard Map Collections
Royal Geographical Society
National Library of Australia Digital Collections: Maps
National Maritime Museum Collections Online: Charts & Maps
Normal B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
Maps and Plans of the Bibliothθque et Archives nationales du Quιbec
Ryhiner Collection
GeoWeb - This is the home of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, which has a large number of historically important maps online. When you get to the search page, click on the catalogue selection box and the top of the choice section, and go from there.
Map Libraries and Map Archives (ETH-Bibliotek Zurich) - This is an extensive general list of these resources.
Map Library of Catalonia - Maintained by the Institut Cartogrΰfic de Catalunya.
Historic Cities - This impressive site contains maps, literature and various other documents pertaining to its topic. It is a collaboration between the Dept. of Geography of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Jewish National and University Library, and The Shapell Digitalization Project.
Collaborative Digital Libraries - This multilingual site (English, French, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese-- for the respective segments) is sponsored by the Library of Congress and corresponding national libraries, and details elements of exploration and discovery of the Americas. At this stage, the histories and digital presentations link to the roles of France, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain and Brazil (Portugal).
Realms of Gold: A Catalogue of Maps in the Library of the American Philosophical Society - This extensively illustrated site "...contains information on some 1,750 printed maps, over 1,000 manuscript maps, 136 atlases, two globes, and one model." There is extensive bibliographic information, although not all the items are illustrated online. Those that are illustrated are in JPEG2000 format.
Afriterra: The Cartographic Free Library - "The AFRITERRA Foundation is a non-profit Cartographic Library and Archive assembling and preserving the original rare maps of Africa in a definitive place for education and interpretation."
Star Atlases, Charts and Maps - This remarkable online collection is provided and maintained by the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology, in Kansas City, Missouri.
3. Map Auctions - The focus here is on auctions largely devoted to maps. There are a number of general auction houses that have periodic map (and other cartographic item) sales, including Bloomsbury, Christie's, Pacific Book Auctions, Sotheby's, Swann and Dominic Winter. These are easily found online. eBay has some interesting map material, if you understand the pitfalls of this combination auction house, discounter and flea market.
Old World Auctions
Paulus Swaen Old Maps and Prints
4. Map Fairs
London Map Fair - This large June fair is usually held at the same time as the IMCoS (International Map Collectors Society) June weekend.
Miami International Map Fair - This is usually held over the first weekend in February.
Paris Map Fair - This is the newest of the group, and is held every November.
5. Map Collector Societies (Antiquarian)
IMCoS - This is the largest of the single groups, and is international in scope. They have several meetings during the year, including an International Symposium, and a June weekend, held in conjunction with the London Map Fair (see section 4 above).
Boston Map Society
Brussels International Map Collectors Circle - They meet several times a year, and publish a newsletter 3 times a year.
California Map Society - They meet semiannually and publish a quarterly newsletter.
Chicago Map Society - They meet monthly, except July-August, and publish a periodic newsletter (Mapline)
Rocky Mountain Map Society
Texas Map Society - They meet and publish a newsletter semiannually.
Washington Map Society - They have ten meetings a year (workshops, seminars, fieldtrips), and publish The Portolan three times a year. This is the largest publication of its kind in the USA.
The William P. Cumming Map Society
Map Societies Around the World - This site is maintained by Peter van der Krogt of Utrecht University. This is comprehensive in scope, and includes listings for all those groups mentioned above.
6. Cartographic Events and Exhibition Calendars - This extensive list of activities is maintained by John W. Docktor.
7. Online Discussion Groups
MapHist Discussion Group - This longstanding list, the most academic of its type, is maintained by Peter van der Krogt, on the Faculty of Geosciences at the University of Utrecht.
MapTrade Mailing List - This list is maintained by Barry Ruderman, and is generally commercial in focus.
8. Online Bibliographies in the History of Cartography
Concise Bibliography of the History of Cartography - This was compiled by Robert W. Karrow, Jr. of the Newberry Library
A Guide to Recent Trends in the History of Cartography - Compiled by Matthew Edney, Director, History of Cartography Project, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is the 2006 update available at the Coordinates website (see bottom of publications, section 10 below).
Bibliographic Essay: History of Cartography - This was written by Evelyn Edson of Piedmont Virginia Community College, and reproduced on the Map History site (see above) with the permission of the author and Choice: current reviews for academic libraries.
General Bibliography Page (Map History)
History of Cartography Tutorial - This is a multi-lingual, collaborative site, developed by: University of Southern Maine (George S. Carhart); Eφtvφs Lorαnd Universitδt, Budapest (Zsolt Tφrφk); Universitδt Passau (Thomas Frenz). This short introductory tutorial is clearly written, illustrated, and divided into eight sections, with two added areas for auxilliary and in-depth studies. Several areas are still under construction, and completion will make this site more useful.
An Annotated List of Reference Books for the Antiquarian Map Collector - This is a recent (2005) introductory bibliography.
9. Antiquarian Map Dealers
MapRecord Antiquarian Dealer List - MapRecord publications is the descendant of the Antique Map Price Record, now in CD form, but with experience in dealer lists for many years. This is a large general list, not solely predicated on a web presence. These are organized geographically.
Oddens Bookmarks: Sellers of Cartographic Material- This is a large list, organized geographically, and currently a bit hard to follow. Some of the links there no longer work (and a few of the dealers are no longer in business), but that is understandable (as with the Yahoo list, which is much less extensive).
International Antiquarian Mapsellers Association (IAMA)- This is a specific link to their search engine, the only one online devoted to the antiquarian map trade. The main site carries membership and organizational links. Relative to the total dealers listed at the other locations, the number represented is small, but they are focused.
10. Publications
Journals and Newsletters Related to the History of Cartography - This is a sizable general list at the Map History site, noted above. It contains most of those listings below.
Imago Mundi - This is the major academic print journal for the history of cartography. This link is for current issues. Back issues (i.e. those published prior to Taylor & Francis) may be found online, through subscribing libraries (not accessible to general public) at JSTOR. A recent and welcome change allows current private subscribers to access these online back issues. The current editorial board is posted online
here.
IMCOS Journal - This is IMCOS' quarterly journal, edited by Valerie Newby.
Neatline - This is the semiannual publication of the Texas Map Society, currently edited by Kit Goodwin.
The Portolan - This is the journal of the Washington Map Society, published 3 times a year. This has been published since October 1984, is indexed and posted to the website, and is currently edited by Tom Sander.
Terrae Incognitae - This is the yearly publication for The Society for the History of Discoveries, published since 1969, and currently edited by Marguerite Ragnow.
California Map Society Newsletter - This is published quarterly, since 1992, and is currently edited by Bill Warren.
Brussels International Map Collectors Circle Newsletter - This is their organizational newsletter, published three times a year since 1998, and currently edited by Jean-Louis Renteux.
Journal of Maps & Geography Libraries - This is a new academic journal, just released in 2004, edited by Mary Lynette Larsgaard and Paige G. Andrew, and published quarterly by Haworth Press.
Coordinates - This is the "Online Journal of the Map and Geography Round Table, American Library Association". Articles include those related to the history of cartography, and a number of other map-related subjects. The editorial board is large and diverse, and their target audience includes map users and curators. The publication is online and open access.
e-Perimetron - Launched in 2006, this quarterly open-access journal is a "pluralist peer reviewed international journal which does not obey any particular ideological, theoretical or methodological approach in dealing with humanistic, artistic, scientific and technological issues related to map history and cartographic heritage in the large. The journal is published quarterly during the four seasons of the year."
11. Preservation Issues (Paper and Digital)
AIC Resource Center - This is supported and maintained by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
Northeast Document Conservation Center - This is also a large, multi-faceted site, and has reinstated its online course, Preservation 101. It also has an extensive online list of Preservation Leaflets.
Caring for Your Document and Art on Paper (Stanford Univ.) - This PDF file is a straightforward discussion of basic elements pertaining to the care of old maps.
Caring for Your Collection (IMCoS bulletins) There is a good bit of information here, although the section on photography could use some updating, particularly in the area of digital photography.
Archival Supplies - Dick Blick Art Materials, Gaylord, Light Impressions, University Products (ArchivalSuppliers.com), Metro Associates, Atlantic Protective Pouches.
12. Courses and Lectures open to the public - Note that most of these links are through the Map History site.
International Conferences on the History of Cartography
Maps and Society lectures
Virginia Garrett Lectures - Held alternate years in Arlington, Texas.
Alan P. and Nathalie Voorhees Lecture on the History of Cartography - This is a yearly event, usually in March, hosted by the Library of Virginia in Richmond. The dates may be found via John Docktor's Cartography Events Calendar (link via left hand frame on this page).
Nebenzahl Lectures - Held alternate years in Chicago, at the Newberry Library.
Oxford Seminars in Cartography
Cambridge Seminars in the History of Cartography
Groupe des Cartothιcaires de LIBER - Tutorials and courses.
13. Out of Print Book Search Engines on the Web
Advanced Book Exchange (ABE) - This is the largest of the independent online search engines.
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) - This is the international organization linking the major national bookseller associations.
Use of Booksearch Engines for the Map Collector (broad general discussion)
14. Odds & Ends
Discussion of issues pertaining to book and map theft - This is maintained by Tony Campbell. Related to this topic is the Missing Maps page maintained by John Woram, including links to a master list of items reported stolen by Forbes Smiley in the recent theft cases involving several major libraries. The IAMA (see above) has now opened a new Missing and Stolen Maps Database, available free of charge. This database was a collaborative effort between dealers, librarians and collectors.
Cartographic Fakes, Forgeries and Facsimiles likely to deceive - This is also maintained by Tony Campbell. Distinctions are drawn between fakes, forgeries, and legitimate facsimiles.
Ownership Marking of Paper-Based Materials - This page is maintained by The Library of Congress.
Definitions of the word 'map', 1649-1996 - These 321 definitions were prepared by J.H. Andrews.
Milestones in the History of Thematic Cartography - This online article, dedicated to Arthur Robinson, was prepared by Michael Friendly.
Ordnance Survey glossary: Mapping terminology and acronyms - This is a very useful and reasonably extensive list of terms.
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology - This is a very nice resource for terminology relating to antiquarian books and related materials.
ABC for Book Collectors - The 8th edition of this classic reference is maintained online by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.
Map Projection Overview - There are two sites I would recommend here: USGS Map Projections and Map Projection Essentials by daan Strebe.
History of Cartography Project
Explokart - Univ. of Utrecht research program in the history of cartography.
KVK Catalogue - This is a free online search facility linking many of the world's major libraries and their online catalogs. It is generally stronger in European map related material than many of the paid databases. WorldCat requires access to a library linked to their services, or a potential major expenditure for single membership. None are specifically geared to maps. With respect to WorldCat, they have recently launched a publicly accessible site with free access, WorldCat.org. Although this does not replicate the full features of the subscription WorldCat database, it is a substantial improvement for the general public. (For a general, condensed list of links to library catalogs worldwide, see Library Catalogs Worldwide , maintained by the Yale University Library.)
Western Association of Map Libraries, and their associated Map Librarian's Toolbox and Map Cataloguing Resources. Some of their links could use updating, if they have the time and inclination.
Rare Map Cataloging: A Case of Special Consideration - This is a general, introductory, and illustrated PDF article which first appeared in the Winter 2006 issue of The Portolan (Number 67).
Pathfinder for the History of Cartography
Historical Celestial Atlases on the Web - This is maintained by Robert Harry van Gent.
Online Slide Sets for Teaching the History of Cartography - This is maintained by the Newberry Library .
The Many Dimensions of Map Use - This is maintained by James R. Carter.
Map Reference - This is specifically for non-print reference items on historical maps and cartography
Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Machine-Readable Cataloging
Currency Converter
Pricing Guides - Antique Map Price Record CD - This is the continuation of the print version, and is fully searchable for all volumes; Antique Map Price Guide - This is an online service run by the people at Old World Auctions; American Book Prices Current (ABPC) - This is the most expensive of the resources, although there are dealer discounts. There are print and CD (fully searchable; 26 years of auction records for books, maps, broadsides, etc.) versions.
I hope this series of web links proves useful. Some of these will disappear, an unavoidable and natural attrition. Other sites will continue to evolve, and begin to develop into their own online institutions. Some of these new institutions will be offshoots of our major brick and mortar facilities, while others will be something new, or perhaps a hybrid. Given the fluctuations and potential evanescence of web related resources, the notion of "web librarianship" may be a new and useful area. With time, improved informational quality and accessibility will prove beneficial to all those taking the time and trouble to look. New and better ways of disseminating information to students of any age should help all concerned. I hope to be able to update this guide periodically, with the intent of keeping it short, but reasonably current. Any suggestions would be appreciated, keeping in mind that this is to be a general reference source aimed at early collectors and enthusiasts.
Last Modified: 5 January 2010
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