Anyone here like old maps?

[mickeyd]

I am a casual fan of old maps. This site that I just came across has a pretty good collection.

The David Rumsey Collection was started nearly 20 years ago, and focuses primarily on cartography of the Americas from the 18th and 19th centuries, but also has maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, school geographies, books, maritime charts, and a variety of separate maps, including pocket, wall, children's and manuscript.

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

 

[slimjim]

thanks for the link.

 

[Walt34]

I just have one that I found in the attic. It's an aeronautical sectional chart of the Washington, DC area in 1940, that has penciled route lines that my father drew when he was flying a J-3 Cub.

So I had it framed and it's hanging on the wall in the basement.

Probably not the kind of map you were thinking of.

 

[Gumby]

I have always been fascinated by maps of all kinds, especially historical ones. I have a huge box with about twenty-five years' worth of the maps from National Geographic, and numerous books about cartography. In my opinion, a musical score is the only thing that rival's a map's ability to convey a wealth of information in a compact format. I recall that there was once a magazine called Mercator, which was dedicated to old maps. I haven't seen an issue in years and I'm not sure it still exists.

 

[crazy connie]

My father (the perpetual dreamer) re-opened old silver mines in Idaho in the 70's. I wound up with a topo map of the area from the 1880's. Professionally matted and framed it is an awesome piece of artwork in my home. Also, have a few of the caricuture type area maps from vacations. I want to frame them for the pool table area. So, yes I like maps as memories and art.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Here are the 1920's topo maps for Los Angeles County

latopoh1

 

[Free To Canoe]

This is great! I love maps.
Thanks

 

[StJohnsWood]

I too love maps. I have hundreds. Old, new, does not matter. If I am ever in Zambia, Paraguay or Australia in the 1890's, I'm set.

 

[FUEGO]

FYI, Google Earth has (had?) a data set with old, historical maps overlayed onto the earth. Some were from centuries ago.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I love maps, globes, and atlases! I have a big older Nat'l Geo one on the wall with a wonderful old atlas and my childhood globe in our living room.

I especially like marine maps--we call them charts! The ones from our trip on the sailboat to the Bahamas are treasured possessions. I always try to pick up maps during our travels, but I think road maps will be hard to find in Mongolia--only 3% of their roads are paved!

 

[deserat]

Love maps of all kinds - have several globes, collect hihking maps, skiing maps, have a tapestry map, bought an antique map of the area in German I used to live.....did I say I love maps? Even have a cross-stitch world map started - (who knows when I'll finish it!)

 

[Ronstar]

I love old maps also. Have many framed - my condo has at least one hanging in every room. Even my drapes are map fabric. The Rumsey collection is very impressive.

 

[Westernskies]

I love old maps! I found a few early 1880's US maps at a flea market in London when I had to weekend to kill on a business trip. They were of the western US, mostly territiorial rather than state maps. Sepia tones, pastel tinted, look like they might have been cut out of an old atlas. I only paid a few pounds each for them.

I had them framed and gave them away to friends with connections to the respective states. Now wish I had kept a couple; I went back a few years later and couldn't find any more.