old maps
Historical navigation aids
Old maps are historical cartographic documents, valued by collectors and researchers for what they reveal about past geographic knowledge, territorial claims, and artistic conventions.
The appeal lies partly in their inaccuracies—blank spaces, sea monsters, misshapen continents—which show how understanding evolved.
He collects old maps of the California coast.
Old maps also decorate walls and appear in antique shops, prized for their aesthetic as much as their information.
- terra incognitaUnexplored or unknown region
- here be dragonsMedieval map warning phrase
- uncharted territoryUnmapped, unexplored area
- portolan chartsMedieval coastal navigation maps
- sea monstersMythical ocean creatures
Ptolemy · museum artifacts · historical records · paper trail · Age of Discovery · treasure map · lost cities · museum exhibits · maritime charts · yellowed · boundaries · surveyor · navigation · atlas · antique · cartography · legend · longitude
- Colonial Antiquespewter, spinning wheels, butter churns, candle molds, Windsor chairs
- frontier relicsarrowheads, covered wagons, wagon wheels, log cabins, sod houses
- neighborhood historyfounding date, historic homes, landmark buildings, local legends, original settlers
- Map odditiesBermuda Triangle, phantom islands, terra incognita, here be dragons, exclaves
- antiquesantiques, antique furniture, antique, antique coins, Greek vases
- vintage collectiblestube radios, vintage signs, cash registers, pinball machines, vintage jewelry
old mapsdigital maps
Electronic geographical guides
GPS navigation · Google Maps · satellite imagery · interactive maps