by Joseph H. Fitzgerald

As seen in Antiques & Art Around Florida, Winter/Spring 1995

The Le Moyne Map of Florida was drawn in 1564 but not published until 1591. It is one of the earliest maps of Florida. Originals are still available though expensive.

Antique maps are frequently among the oldest obtainable items available to the ordinary person. Many date from the 1600s and 1700s and even those from the 1800s fit the bill as genuine antiques as we prepare to roll into a new century. Other items this old would usually not be available for sale or, if they were, their price would be beyond the reach of the average collector.

From a decorative point of view, antique maps surely qualify as art by most criteria. Cartographers drew the maps based on information supplied by explorers. This picture of an area thus represents, from a historical point of view, a "time capsule" of geographical knowledge. Other artists were frequently employed to supply decorative features on the maps. These include elaborate scrolls, allegorical figures, cherubs, animals, plants, sea monsters and sailing ships. Sometimes the "Italic" lettering on the map is itself a decorative feature, especially that introduced by the famous map maker, Gerard Mercator (1512-1594). Some of the illustrations on Renaissance maps are of such high calibre that in order to obtain art like this from, say, the genre of painting, one would have to buy old masters or illuminated manuscripts for many thousands of dollars.

The Gibson Map of Florida was published in 1763. Originals are sometimes available and usually affordable. Photos by the author.

Methods of printing old maps from wood cuts (cameo), copper engravings (intaglio), or by lithography (stone printing) are the same methods used by other artists to produce their images. Some of the wood block printed maps, such as those of Sebastian Munster (b.1489-), have a primitive look about them. On the other hand, the fine detail available on copper or steel engraved maps allows for more artistic presentation. Some of the most beautiful engraved maps are from the 1600s. They come from the Netherlands or from France. Some very affordable and beautifully engraved maps are those by Emil Levasseur (1828-1911) from the early to mid 1800s.

The coloring of maps is an art also, whether done by the cartographer himself or by someone else. The famous cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598), who published the first real "atlas", got his start as a map colorist.

In general, older maps are much more durable because they were printed on hand made acid free rag paper. After the mid 1800s this was not the case.

For those wishing to know more about the subject there are several very readable books. One of the best is Antique Maps, by Carl Moreland and David Bannister. Other good books have been written by Jonathan Potter, Ken Nebenzahl and John Goss. These are usually available through Map Collector Magazine or from the authors themselves.