How should I frame an old map?

Historic paper prints require conservation-grade mounting materials to prevent acid transfer from standard backing boards. Keeping the piece away from direct sunlight protects the fugitive watercolours and ink from fading. Using spacers between the paper and the glass prevents condensation and ensures the delicate sheet does not adhere to the glazing over time.

How do I identify a seventeenth-century map?

Seventeenth-century maps often feature Latin or early English text on the reverse side, describing the topography or history of the region depicted. The paper displays characteristic irregularities and chain lines from early handmade paper production. Cartouche designs, strapwork and decorative borders from this era also differ significantly from later Georgian and Victorian cartography.

Are these prints hand coloured?

Many period maps and architectural plates received hand-applied watercolour washes shortly after printing to highlight boundaries, towns and decorative cartouches. This work was typically executed in the publisher's workshop by skilled colourists. Close inspection under magnification reveals the brushstrokes and subtle pooling of pigment unique to manual application.

Where were these maps made?

The collection includes works originating from British, Dutch and Italian publishing houses and workshops. Dutch cartography from Amsterdam dominated much of the seventeenth-century trade through firms like Blaeu and Janssonius. British county maps and town plans followed later through publishers such as John Speed, Robert Morden and John Cary.

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Historic Paper Print

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A historic paper print offers a tangible fragment of cartography and fine art, capturing centuries of geography and history in ink and watercolour on aged paper.