Mapamundi

Regions and Seasons: In Greek mythology, the Horae – a group of three rain-giving goddesses – ruled over natural order and the seasons, and through their gift of water from the heavens they brought agricultural More

Illus. in: Claudii Ptholemei Alexandrini philosophi Cosmographia. Rome : Arnoldus Buckinck, 10 Oct. (VI Idus Octobris) 1478. Published in: The tradition of technology : Landmarks of Western technology ... / Le More

The classical Greek and Roman world view is known to us through the writings of Claudius Ptolemy, a 2nd century A.D. astronomer, mathematician, and geographer who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. Although his origin More

The circular world map that appeared in the 1475 Latin edition of ''Rudimentum Novitorium'' and its subsequent French translations is considered the first printed map of the world. Drawn in the tradition of Med More

Although published just as news of Christopher Columbus's discoveries was beginning to spread, this was the last noteworthy world map to be produced without any indication of the New World. This depiction of th More

In 1507, the same year that Martin Waldseemüller issued three works announcing the existence of a new continent which he named America, Johann Ruysch published a totally different world map. This rendition, wh More

The winds, known collectively as Venti, have long been viewed as both bringers of good fortune and sources of chaos. In ancient Greece and Rome, the winds were seen as personas; gods who brought favorable or di More

As the first map printed in two colors, this is a monument to map printing. The place names in capital letters were printed in red ink by means of type set into the woodblocks. The decorative windheads, zodiaca More

Ptolemaic world map Courtesy of Boston Public Library

Waldseemüller may have had second thoughts about his 1507 proposal for naming the new continent "America." In 1513, he issued a fourth publication, a new edition of Claudius Ptolemy's Geographia. In it he incl More

Apian, a noted German mathematician, astronomer and geographer, compiled several geographical publications during the first half of the 16th century. His work displayed various iterations of the American contin More

Regions and Seasons: The winds, collectively known as Venti, have long been viewed as both bringers of good fortune and sources of chaos. In ancient Greece and Rome, the winds were seen as personas; gods who br More

Bordonne, a cartographer and engraver working in Venice, was best known for his isolario or book of islands. First published in 1528, his book included 111 wood cut maps of islands. The world map, a simple outl More

Decorated with sea monsters, mermaids, exotic animals, and cannibals, this wood cut map provides a marked contrast to the simplistic diagrams considered the earliest printed world maps. While the latter present More

Fine, an eminent French cartographer, created this unique double cordiform or heart-shaped projection, emphasizing the northern and southern hemispheres. The European, Asian and African continents were prominen More

Relief shown pictorially. Woodcut that appears in edition of Ptolemy's Geographia published in 1541. Includes illustrations of winds. LC copy stamped on in lower left corner: 0 674. Mounted on cloth and laminat More

Relief shown pictorially. Woodcut that appears in an edition of Ptolemy's Geographia published in 1541. Includes illustrations and notes. LC copy stamped on in lower left corner: 0 676. Manuscript "246" in uppe More

Relief shown pictorially. South America labeled in German, geographic features otherwise in Latin. Appears in the author's Cosmographei. Basel, Switzerland. 1550. Available also through the Library of Congress More

The Italian engraver and publisher, Antonio Salamanca, produced this finely engraved world map utilizing the double cordiform projection (heart shaped). Salamanca’s engraving was based on a 1538 map published b More

Ortelius' book of maps, first published in 1570, is considered the first modern world atlas. It was the first time that a set of maps, contemporary to the date of publication, was designed, drawn, and engraved More

Ortelius's map of the Americas was one of the most identifiable and most famous cartographic representations of the western hemisphere created during the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography. It enjoyed great popula More

Oval map within illustrated border, showing clouds. Appears in Latin edition of Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum. Includes illustrations. Latin text on verso. In lower left: cum privilegio. Has a crack and re More

During the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography, many world maps were composed of two hemispheres, one for each of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. However, this elaborately decorated world map projected the wor More

As was fairly common during the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography, this map projects the world on two hemispheres - Eastern and Western. It was the first richly decorated map of the period and influenced the art More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes notes, ill., and cartouche with dedicaton and text. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Fold-lined. LC copy imperfect: Margin in upper a More

Relief shown pictorially. Described in: The mapping of North America / Philip D. Burden. 1996. p. 165. Includes notes, ill., and cartouche with text. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a More

Relief shown pictorially. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Includes notes, ill., and cartouche with text. Fold-lined. LC copy imperfect: Margin in upper and lower left More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes notes, ill., and cartouche with text. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Fold-lined. LC copy imperfect: Margin in upper and lower left More

Available also through the Library of Congress web site as a raster image. Vault

Relief shown pictorially. Includes ancillary maps of America, Europe, Africa, and Asia in border. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Vault

Regions and Seasons: The winds remained on maps into the 17th century, as illustrated on this 1607 horological diagram, which was used for measuring time. Produced by German mathematician Franz Ritter, this uni More

Displaying the known world of the early 17th century as a triptych, with the map divided into three segments or gores, was very uncommon during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. However, such a format was co More

Includes two ancillary celestial hemispheres, notes, and illustrations. Map appears in Nicolas Tassin's Cartes generales de tovtes les prouinces de France. LC copy has text in French on three sheets framing the More

Ornately decorated and beautifully colored, this world map epitomizes the baroque style favored during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. The map was prepared in 1630 by Henricus Hondius, who had joined in pa More

Public domain image of a vintage map, geography atlas, maritime navigation, age of discovery, 16th-17th century, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description

First published in 1606, Blaeu's world map is one of the foremost examples of ornamentation and decoration during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. This map had a long life, and was reissued numerous times, More

Includes illustrations of the seasons and the elements, notes, and two celestial hemispheres. Illustrations of costumes: Hispani -- Galli -- Itali -- Germani -- Angli -- Belgae -- Groenlandi -- Chinenses -- Jav More

Ornately decorated and beautifully colored, this world map epitomizes the baroque style favored during the Golden Age of Dutch cartography. The map was prepared in 1630 by Henricus Hondius, who had joined in pa More

Includes northern and southern celestial hemispheres, charts of longitude, notes, and illustrations of the four elements. LC copy mounted on paper. Shirley, Rodney W. Mapping of the world. 1983, 360 Available a More

Includes illustrations of the seasons and the elements, notes, and two celestial hemispheres. According to Shirley, the map is based on one by Visscher, rather than Blaeu. Illustrations of costumes: Francois -- More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes notes. Illustrations include images of the garden of Eden and the Last Judgment and four allegorical figures in the corners of the sheet. Assembled from 4 sheets. LC copy in t More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes text, 2 ancillary celestial hemispheres, and ill. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Acquisitions control no. 2001-24

In this striking image, the world is portrayed on one full circle (or hemisphere), which is flanked by two half circles. This unusual geometrical configuration is embraced by a double-headed eagle. Realizing th More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

While most of the maps in this exhibit depict just the Earth -- reflecting mankind's perception of his immediate and perceived environment -- very few address the planet's position in the larger universe. Howev More

New and accvrat map of the world Courtesy of Boston Public Library

Beneath Our Feet: Created by Jesuit priest and scholar Athanasius Kircher, this intriguing map of the earth was included in his 1665 treatise “Mundus Subterraneus.” Kircher’s early theories combined religion an More

Relief shown pictorially. Shows California as an island. LC copy: left half mounted on paper, fold lined. Lightly hand colored to mark continental boundaries and some place names. Shirley, Rodney W. Mapping of More

Regions and Seasons: Allegorical figures of the seasons – both male and female – along with their characteristic symbols, are placed in the lower center of this double-hemisphere world map. Spring with her flow More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

Shows California as an island. Includes illustrations, including scenes of the four seasons. Ancillary maps and charts: Incrementum et decrementum dierū -- Phasis lunae naturalis -- Hypothesis Tychonican -- Hyp More

Relief shown pictorially. Insets maps: Kamchadka to Korea to Indo-China; Beijing, China to Yellow Sea. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image.

Relief shown pictorially. Includes two ancillary polar hemispheres and illustrations. LC copy foldlined, with three pin holes in lower margin. Hand coloring to delineate continental boundaries only. Shirley, Ro More

LC copy lightly hand colored, showing political boundaries only. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image.

Collection of old maps Courtesy of Boston Public Library

As a variation to earlier double hemisphere world maps, Visscher, a mid-17th-century Dutch cartographer, added two smaller spheres to his presentation, with each depicting the northern and southern polar region More

Relief shown pictorially. Appears in the author's Atlas minor. Amsterdam, 1690? Includes ancillary maps of north polar region and south polar region and col. ill. Mounted on cloth. LC copy imperfect: Fold-lined More

Another variation of the double hemisphere projection was one in which each of the spheres depicted the northern and southern hemispheres, rather than the eastern and western. An example of this polar-oriented More

This map is an example of a map from a non-western culture that depicts an Asian world view. Although obviously a hybrid with a strong European influence, this early 18th-century world map was printed entirely More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes illustrations and 4 small hemispherical polar projections. Appears in Sanson's Atlas nouveau. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. French More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

Relief shown pictorially. Place names in romanized Arabic. Accompanying text in English. Facsimile. Original version: 1154. Oriented with north to the bottom. Originally printed on 6 sheets, each ca. 47 x 68 cm More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

Relief shown pictorially. Prime meridian: Ferro. Dedicated to "Iacobo Boreel" by G. van Keulen. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Acquisitions control no. 10-87 Vault

Public domain image of the vintage map from Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, free to use, no copyright restrictions image. The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library is a special More

Relief shown pictorially. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. LC Copy one has differences in cartouche from Copy 2.

Appears in his New sett of maps both of antient and present geography. Publication information from 1700 edition. Includes illustrations, notes, and list of abbreviations. Lacking "I" underneath dedication, whi More

Shirley, Rodney W. Mapping of the world. 1983, 417 Relief shown pictorially. Includes illustrations. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Title in Latin and French. Most pl More

Relief shown pictorially. "Cum privilegio regis ad Vicennium 1704." Includes text directly above and below hemispheres lacking in other 1704 edition. Shows California as an island. Available also through the Li More

Relief shown pictorially. "Cum privilegio regis ad Vicennium 1704." Lacking text directly above and below hemispheres present in other 1704 edition. Shows California as an island. Available also through the Lib More

Scale ca. 1:35,000,000 at the equator. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. Includes text, notes, and ill. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Vault AACR2

Regions and Seasons: London-based cartographer Herman Moll produced this world map for his atlas The World Described (1709-36) to document the numerous expeditions undertaken by English explorers searching for More

Richly decorated in the tradition of Dutch cartography, this map extends from eastern Asia to western Europe but focuses on the Pacific Ocean and the Americas. It is attributed to Henri Abraham Chatelain, a Hug More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch were losing their dominance in the European map trade and were being replaced by French, British, and German publishing firms. Displayed here is an example of an early More

Public domain image of the vintage map from Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, free to use, no copyright restrictions image. The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library is a special More

Seutter, one of the most important German globe makers and map publishers during the first half of the 18th century, created this world map using a design that was dominated by fourteen circles of varying sizes More

Public domain image of the vintage map from Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, free to use, no copyright restrictions image. The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library is a special More

Public domain image of a vintage map, geography atlas, maritime navigation, age of discovery, 16th-17th century, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description

Relief shown pictorially. Appears in Moll's World described. Includes illustrations including the Ptolemean and Copernican systems and the sun, moon and planets, ancillary hemisphere map centered on the North P More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes illustrations and 4 small hemispherical polar projections. This edition does not include "Routes de Mr. Halley" and "Glaces vues par Mr. Halley" off the east coast of South Am More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes text and illustrations, including images of the sun and moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Identical title in cartouche has date 1753. Text on left, right, and lo More

Relief shown by hachures. Projection centered on North Pole. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. LC copy removed from its copy of Buache's Cartes et tables de la géographi More

Includes indexes. In upper right corner: v. 2, p. 15? Text on verso. LC copy imperfect: trimmed, upper left corner torn, with some loss to index. Mounted on cloth. Available also through the Library of Congress More

Relief shown by hachures. "As the act directs 20th November 1772." Includes extensive text, tables, and many small astronomical maps, as well as the larger maps and charts listed below. Ancillary maps and diagr More

Public domain image of a vintage map, geography atlas, maritime navigation, age of discovery, 16th-17th century, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description

Relief shown pictorially. Appears in Tobias Conrad Lotter's Atlas géographique de cent et huit cartes générales et spéciales. Augsburg, 1778. Includes note, ill., and ancillary maps of the northern hemisphere a More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes note, illustrations, and ancillary maps of the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. LC copy imperfect: small loss close to left margin. Available also through the Libr More

Public domain image of a vintage map, geography atlas, maritime navigation, age of discovery, 16th-17th century, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description

Relief shown pictorially. Includes illustrated cartouche. LC copy sectioned into 4 pieces and mounted on cloth. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image.

Public domain image of the vintage map from Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, free to use, no copyright restrictions image. The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library is a special More

Shows various expedition routes. Relief shown pictorially. Includes text and col. ill. Ancillary maps: Solar system -- Northern hemisphere -- Southern hemisphere -- Astronomical latitude and longitude analemma More

Relief shown pictorially. Includes text, table of climates, table of coordinates, and ill. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Fold-lined. On verso in manuscript ink in up More

Although this world map appears, at first glance, to be drawn in the same tradition as the ornately-decorated double-hemisphere world maps that appeared so widely during the 17th and 18th centuries, it represen More

Arrowsmith, a prominent English map maker and publisher, had a reputation for producing accurate and updated maps. His world map published in 1794 specifically delineated the voyages of Capt. James Cook during More

Includes text and astronomical diagrams. Appears in Samuel Dunn's New atlas of the mundane system. Fourth edition. London : Laurie & Whittle, 1796. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a r More

Public domain scan of a vintage world map, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description.

Relief shown pictorially. Also shows lines of magnetic variation and marine wind-direction arrows. "Published as the Act directs, Aug't 1st 1799, by I. Evans, No. 41 Long Lane, West Smithfield." Originally prin More

Public domain image of a vintage map, geography atlas, maritime navigation, age of discovery, 16th-17th century, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl description