Abacus
Antique Dealers: Basic Antique Map Collecting
If
you are new to the world of antique maps and prints,
we hope you will find in these few pages some interesting
and straightforward background information, which
will enable you to embark on a hobby which can be
exciting and rewarding.
The
fascination of old maps and prints lies in the their
unique ability to reflect the history of the world
and times of our ancestors, as well as your own special
interests. You can aspire to an exceptionally scarce
and superbly colored 17th century plan of the town
in which you were born, or from which your family
emigrated, or to an equally interesting view of the
city you now live in, as it was 100 or more years
ago.
All
can be beautifully matted and framed, to provide outstanding
wall decoration that enhances your home or workplace
and at the same time gives endless interest and pleasure.
What other legacy from the past is still available
today at such affordable prices?
WHAT
IS MEANT BY THE TERM “ANTIQUE MAP”?
An
antique map is a map printed over 100 years ago by
one of three main processes.
The earliest maps were generally printed from a wooden
block which had been cut in relief (the printed area
standing out from the rest) and then inked. This type
of map can be seen in the work of Munster (c1550)
among others. Most of these maps were never colored.
Copper
and steel engravings form the vast majority of antique
maps that can be found today. In this process the
image was cut, in reverse, into the metal plate which
was then inked, placed with a sheet of paper in a
press and the ink in the grooves would produce the
image.
Copper,
a softer metal, in common use from the early 1500’s
until about 1820, would produce relatively few maps
before having to be beaten out and re-engraved. Steel
was introduced in the early 1800’s and quickly
replaced copper because finer lines could be engraved
and far more maps printed on this harder metal. Nearly
all engraved maps dated after 1830 were produced on
steel.
Surface
printing or lithography also started in the early
1800’s and allowed the artist or mapmaker to
draw directly on to a specially prepared stone. This
was cheaper and faster (no engraver was needed) but
most lithographic maps have a fuzzy quality which
does not endear them to many. This method can be used
with several colors (each color needs a separate stone)
but can result in overlapping of colors in some of
the poorer efforts.
By
the late 1880’s modern machine lithography and
printing were taking over and maps lost their decorative
quality.
CONDITION
OF ANTIQUE MAPS
Descriptions
of condition that are found in catalogues of antique
maps are about as subjective as it can get. One dealer’s
“excellent” might be another dealer’s
“good”. A description can do a lot to convey
information about condition, but among a range of
catalogues comparability has yet to be achieved. Some
dealers omit condition statements entirely, presumably
on the assumption that their reputation is sufficient
-and often it is, especially with a return guarantee.
Of necessity, auction catalogues generally have more
extended descriptions of condition since misinformation
can invalidate a sale.
Antique
maps are paper items that are subject to wear and
tear similar to any item which was intended to be
used. Nearly all of them come from atlases, which
may have been roughly handled, indeed sea charts may
have traveled many times around the world - and inevitably
may have marginal tears or repairs to them. Below
is a classification guide to grade condition.
Minor
defects include marginal tears, slight brown spotting
from paper aging, shadowing where ink is transferred
across a folded map and slight creasing of the paper.
Do not confuse the centerfold in most maps with creasing.
Many larger maps were intended to be folded into atlases.
Major
defects include tears, which enter the printed surface,
actual loss of printed surface, defacing by writing
on the map surface and severe browning on poorer paper.
Major
defects are more common in maps from the 1800’s
and earlier which could make that map totally undesirable,
but rarer, older maps may only be obtainable in a
degraded condition. Either way the condition will
be reflected in the price that the collector pays.
Buy
a map in the best condition that you could reasonably
expect for its age and price. The rarer and older
it is, the more forgiving you should be about condition.
We
grade our maps on the following scale:
Art Source International and most major map dealers
have adopted the following condition codes from The
Antique Map Price Record & Handbook 2001. Our
scale includes a “letter Grade”, in addition
to a short descriptive statement. Their criteria are
described below.
(A+) Excellent Condition
Clean and bright, with crisp engraved lines. On sound
paper with wide margins. Fine quality coloring.
(A)
Very Good Condition
Clean and bright, with crisp engraved lines. On sound
paper with no imperfections in the image. Small tears
or minor discoloration in the margin only. Very good
quality coloring.
(B)
Good Condition
No significant imperfections. Minor spotting, foxing,
short separations on centerfold with no image loss,
or overall age toning may be present. May have narrow
margins but paper is still sound. Good coloring.
(C)
Fair Condition
Noticeable imperfections. Scattered foxing or spotting.
Long separations on centerfold or tears entering image
which can be easily repaired. Color may be slightly
faded.
(D)
Poor Condition
Needs significant repair and cleaning. Paper may be
highly acid and brittle. Color may be faded.
SIZES
OF ANTIQUE MAPS
Obviously
they come in all manner of sizes but there are three
main groups all dependent on a single sheet of paper
and how it can be folded.
Folio—
refers to maps printed on a complete sheet, generally
measuring about 25? by 20?.
Quarto—
refers to maps printed on one quarter of a sheet ,
generally about 13? by 10?.
Octavo—
deals with maps printed on one eighth of a sheet,
generally about 7? by 5?.
There
are any number of other sizes, often shown as 12mo
or 16mo, used by some of the exquisite miniature maps
of the late 1500’s and early 1600’s, generally
about 3.5? by 4.5?.
COLORING
OF ANTIQUE MAPS
Some
maps were never meant to be colored, like most of
the woodcuts or the early copper engravings of people
like Ruscelli, but most antique maps look better with
appropriate hand color. It was not until the 17th
Century, when the superb maps by Blaeu and others
were individually colored by hand at that time. The
depth and splendor of some of the early colors was
based on the preparation of pigments, some of which
are not now available - a lost art.
Ideally
one would like to find a map with original hand color,
also know as contemporary color, that was applied
at the time it was printed. However, not all original
hand color was well done or even applied correctly.
So-called ‘later’ or ‘modern’
hand color, skillfully applied, can be aesthetically
pleasing, but only if done in a style appropriate
to the mapmaker or the map’s period.
Maps
were originally colored to enhance appearance and
readability. Generally three or four colors (green,
pink, orange and yellow) distinguished political subdivisions,
black was used for names, red colored cathedrals or
other buildings distinguish large cities and blue
stands for water.
Many
maps and prints were colored at the time of printing.
Some care must be taken when buying these, to ensure
that no oxidization has taken place - Greens and browns
in particular tend to ‘burn’ through the
paper. Burning may be an unavoidable blemish in some
maps from the 1600’s You should always hold any
item you are interested in up to the light, to check
not just for any such ‘burning’, but also
to see whether there are any defects, such as small
worm holes, evidence of repairs, etc.
Modern
Color. Often older maps issued without color have
color added in whole or in part. Any color added long
after the map was issued is referred to as modern
color. Modern color can be skillfully applied. If
it is skillfully applied and historically correct
it is often difficult to distinguish from contemporary
color. If you are in doubt you can ask us, for we
can usually distinguish between the two.
Many
antique maps or prints that were originally published
uncolored, have had modern coloring applied, or can
be colored to order. Normally sizing” will be
applied to the surface of the print before coloring,
to prevent the paint from “burning” the
paper.
Whether
or not you decide to have a map colored is very much
a matter of personal taste. The purists will argue
that the map or engraving should be left in its original
state. Others may prefer the added enjoyment of seeing
their collection in attractive colors, particularly
when the intention is to mate and frame them for display
in the home or work place.
