Announcing our 20th-anniversary catalog!
On the occasion of Boston Rare Maps’ 20th anniversary, I am pleased to announce the release of our new catalog, Mapping the American Century. The catalog is a celebration of American mapmaking from 1900 to 2000 and beyond. Here you will find E. Simms Campbell’s iconic “Night-Club Map of Harlem”, a 50-foot map of the […]
Getting Started in Map Collecting
I’ve been a map dealer for almost 20 years, and was a collector for almost 10 years before that. Based on that experience, I can say with confidence that map collecting is a great hobby… appealing to the eye, intellectually stimulating (and occasionally mind-blowing), and offering endless opportunities for travel, exploration and friendship. For all […]
“How do I know an antique map or print is real?”
Among those unfamiliar with old maps, perhaps the most commonly asked question is, “How do I know if this is really an old map?” That is, “How do I know it was really printed a long time ago, say, in 1548, and is not some kind of modern reproduction or fake?” (If you have a map […]
Why the Map Trade Still Matters in the Age of the Internet
Good afternoon, and thank you for coming today. I would also like to thank Sammy Berk for organizing this wonderful Map Fair and the leadership and staff of the Newberry Library for hosting this event. This talk has its origins in a roundtable I participated in last year, at a conference on the occasion […]
Join Us for a Special Exhibit: National Emergencies & Documents that Shaped America
I am pleased to announce that Boston Rare Maps will exhibit March 16–17 at the 39th annual Ephemera Fair in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Fair is a highlight of the Ephemera Society’s Annual Conference, which this year examines the theme Coming to America: The Immigrant Experience. In collaboration with Seth Kaller, Inc. and University Archives, we will be hosting “National […]
Mapping Massachusetts, Part I (1600-1720)
This article is the first in a series describing some key themes and important milestones in the early mapping of Massachusetts. Though most of the information may be found in other sources, to our knowledge this is the first time such a synthesis has been attempted. Before “Massachusetts” In 1548 Giacomo Gastaldi issued Tierra […]
Antique Maps and evaluating condition
Antique maps may sustain many forms of damage over the years, some of which can be easily overlooked in the excitement surrounding a purchase. So it is important for collectors to understand issues related to map condition and exercise care with each acquisition. Types of condition problem Condition flaws may be categorized somewhat arbitrarily as […]
Mapping Massachusetts: A century of innovation in cartography
From 1794 to 1890, an ever-shifting coalition of state legislators, town select board members, surveyors, scientists, entrepreneurs and even ultimately the Federal government placed Massachusetts at the head of American mapmaking. There is no one explanation for Massachusetts’ cartographic leadership, but there are some underlying factors: A robust scientific community, an activist state government, the New England […]
A Cold Warrior’s desk calendars catch fire on the internet
This week’s recent acquisitions captured the attention and imagination of many as it included a collection unlike any we’ve hosted before: a series of Cold War-era desk calendars, massively extra-illustrated by a disgruntled Cold Warrior. Atlas Obscura says: “They’re an unusual window into one person’s life and the world as he saw it—a unique history […]
Maps & atlases at the 2018 New York Antiquarian Book Fair
I am pleased to announce that Boston Rare Maps will exhibit in Booth A6 at this week’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair, along with no fewer than 12 other dealers specializing in maps and atlases. Click below for a printable map of the Fair highlighting our locations. The Fair will run this Thursday March 8 through Sunday March 11 […]