World Charts and Maps

Antique 16th Century World Map by Rumold Mercator - RareCharts.com
18th Century Dutch Nautical Chart of the Caribbean Sea - RareCharts.com
Scarce 1702 French Chart of the Mediterranean Sea & Adjacent Coasts - RareCharts.com Welcome to the world of rare and antique nautical charts, maps and engravings! Our selection of 'World Charts and Maps' is unparalleled in its breadth and depth, from Antique Art Deco IICL Network Puzzle Maps (1930) to Edwin Sundberg's WWII-era Coloroto Thematic Map of World Population Density (1944). We have something for everyone, from Ptolemaic Armillary Sphere Engravings by Citoyen Berthelon (1799) to John Senex Armillary Sphere Copperplate Engravings by Guthrie. Our extensive collection not only offers a fascinating glimpse into our past but also provides valuable insight into how culture, geography, time-periods and politics have influenced our world today. From Matthew Maury's Scarce Whale Chart (5th Ed. ca. 1972) to Attractive 1787 Rigobert Bonne North Polar Projection of Northern Hemisphere, you can explore centuries of history with one click! Discover why so many collectors come back to us again and again for their rare chart needs! Our selection includes 30 important keywords and phrases such as Antique Art Deco IICL Network Puzzle Map (1930), British Commonwealth of Nations Map (WWII) – Mercator Projection, Magini’s 16th Century World Chart with Terra Australis Nondum Cognita, Original 1983 World Cannabis March on U.N. Poster – 5th Ave Pot Parade Coalition, Stunning 1985 World Cannabis March on U.N. Poster – A Yipster Times Publication and much more! We invite you to browse our selection today and find that perfect piece for your collection or gift for a loved one!

	Thumbnail		Creator	Date	Title / Author / Date / Location	Price			Description
6821		Details	Fitzgerald, Paul	1996	Thematic world map Rich World Poor World Fitzgerald, Paul 1996 LOC:400	$375.00	Fitzgerald--Paul	Thematic-world-map-Rich-World-Poor-World	An early, if not the earliest, large format pictorial map of the two-world model, used to attempt to explain the origins of economic inequities between the Global North (Rich World) and the Global South (Poor World). Map concept, text and artwork by Polyp ca. 1996. The map combines infographics with much textual explanation to explain the economic imbalances between the two conceptual worlds. <br><br> The term "Global South" refers to developing countries primarily located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These countries tend to be poorer, experience higher income inequality, and have harsh living conditions compared to the wealthier nations of the "Global North," mainly situated in North America, Europe, and Australia. The term "Global South" gained popularity after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, replacing the previous term "Third World," (in a three-world model) which referred to developing nations during the time of colonialism. <br><br> Scarce. Six holdings in WorldCat.
6773		Details	Moll, Herman	1715	Moll's world map of with monsoons and trade winds Moll, Herman 1715 LOC:89	$400.00	Moll--Herman	Moll-s-world-map-of-with-monsoons-and-trade-winds	Increasingly scarce map of the world by Herman Moll ca. 1715 covering a large area from 50 degrees north to 50 degrees south of the Equator. The map, on Mercator's projection is centered on "the Great South Sea", or Pacific Ocean, and Moll's incomplete outlines for New Zealand, Australia, and Tasmania reflect the uncertain state of geographical knowledge in the early eighteenth century. <br><br> Moll's maps touching on compass variation and wind patterns, especially the trade winds, stand out as significant contributions to cartography and navigation. Moll tried to visualize the concept of global atmospheric circulation, making use of the contemporary understanding of trade winds and monsoons. Monsoon winds are seasonal wind patterns that occur over various regions, most notably in South and Southeast Asia, where they cause the well-known monsoon rains. As Moll explains in his note at upper left: <br><br> <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> "Note that the Arrows among the Lines shew the Course of these General & Coasting Winds, and the Arrows in the void Spaces shew the Course of the Shifting TRADE-WINDS, and the abbreviations Sept. &c. Shew the Times of the Year when such Winds blow". </div><br> <div id="0" align="center"> <a title=""></a> <img id="6773" src="/ZoomifyImages/SC_6773/SC_6773_detail_1.jpg" alt="Detail of the East Indies from Moll's Map of Monsoon and Trade Winds." width="340"/> <br><br> <font size="-2">Monsoon and Trade Winds in The East Indies. Moll, 1715.</font> </div><br> On this map, Moll represented the trade winds – the predictable east-west wind patterns in the tropical latitudes – using arrows. Knowing the direction of the trade winds at specific times of the year, was crucial to understanding how to plan routes for ships involved in trade and exploration. This information was invaluable to the burgeoning Atlantic economies, particularly in the context of the Atlantic triangular trade.
6763		Details	National Company	1949	Map of the World in Azimuthal Projection Centered on Malden Mass USA National Company 1949 LOC:89	$250.00	National-Company	Map-of-the-World-in-Azimuthal-Projection-Centered-on-Malden-Mass-USA	Scarce "Map of the World in Azimuthal Projection Centered on Malden, Mass USA". Presumed first edition lacking the more elaborate title cartouche found on the 2nd. No copies located in WorldCat. <br><br> Malden was home to the National Company, a heavyweight in the manufacturing of radio equipment. The legacy of this enterprise and the town's distinctive place in radio history were immortalized in a unique piece of advertising - this world map centered on this otherwise little-known Massachusetts town. <br><br> This ingeniously designed cartographic promotional map was part of a strategy tailored to captivate the attention of amateur radio enthusiasts. It underscored the awe-inspiring power of radio communication, visualizing the potential of the most potent transmitters of the time. One glance at this map made it crystal clear: with the right equipment, you could quite literally tap into the global conversation. <br><br> A feature that makes the azimuthal projection stand out among other cartographic methods is its fidelity to directions. Any line drawn from the center point to another location on the map accurately represents the real-world direction. This attribute, where all points appear radially symmetrical around the center, makes it an invaluable tool in aeronautical charts. <br><br>
6724		Details	Perry, Heather "Herry"	1930	Rare Art Deco Imperial and International Communications Ltd Map Puzzle Perry, Heather "Herry" 1930 LOC:500	$3,500.00	Perry--Heather-"Herry"	Rare-Art-Deco-Imperial-and-International-Communications-Ltd-Map-Puzzle	<br></br>Bring a piece of British telecommunications history to your collection. This exquisite, complete, and rare Art Deco style puzzle map of the Imperial and International Communications (IICL) network ca. 1930 precedes McDonald Gill's Cable and Wireless Great Circle map by 15 years and features elegant characters representing the Anemoi, mythological Roman wind gods, and the Greek wind gods or Venti: Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus, Eurus, Aquilo, Favonius, Auster, and Vulturnus. Green lines indicate the undersea cables of the IICL, while dotted green lines signify IICL wireless transmissions. <br><br> <div id="0" align="center"> <a title="Perry's Telecom Map Puzzle"></a> <img id="3" src="/zoomifyimages/SC_6724/SC_6724_Detail.jpg" alt="Art Deco details from Herry Perry map puzzle for Imperial and International Communications Ltd, 1930, London." width="350"/> <br><small>Detail from Herry Perry's Art Deco IICL map puzzle, 1930.</small> </div><br> The map was designed by Herry Perry and manufactured as a promotional item for the IICL, by the Chad Valley Company, an eminent English toy manufacturer . The Chad Valley Company was active from 1860 to 1978. Its products ranged from high-quality soft toys, educational puzzles, board games, to construction sets. <br></br> In 1929, the Imperial Telegraphs Act paved the way for the formation of two new companies that would merge the various telegraph and wireless services within the British Empire and create a coordinated global communications network. Initially, IICL focused on expanding its services within the British Empire, but it eventually expanded its coverage to other regions like the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. IICL merged with Cable & Wireless Limited in 1934. Includes the intact original puzzle box. <br><br> Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a rare and remarkable piece of British telecommunications history - purchase this Art Deco map puzzle of the IICL network today.
6622		Details	Sundberg, Edwin L.	1944	Thematic Map of the World's population WWII era Sundberg, Edwin L. 1944 LOC:300	$125.00	Sundberg--Edwin-L-	Thematic-Map-of-the-World-s-population-WWII-era	WWII-era thematic Coloroto (1) or color rotogravure map by Edwin Sundberg presenting statistics on the relative population density of the world's nations in 1944. <br><br> (1) Coloroto is a trade name for a rotogravure used to print multiple colors. According to Google a rotogravure printing system uses a rotary press with <b>intaglio cylinders</b>, typically running at high speed and used for long print runs of magazines and stamps. (Google Oxford languages dictionary. Online). <br><br>
5438		Details	FAO United Nations	1970	Map of the world distribution of sperm and baleen whale catches FAO United Nations 1970 LOC:78	$200.00	FAO-United-Nations	Map-of-the-world-distribution-of-sperm-and-baleen-whale-catches	Scarce map of the number of catches of sperm whales and of baleen whales worldwide. From the "Atlas of the living resources of the seas" a publication of the Department of Fisheries for the <strong>Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations [1]</strong>. <br><br> Updating Maury one hundred years earlier, the color of whale pictographs are used to represent whale species. Location, and catch quantity also are represented on this chart of the world. Maury's chart reported whale sightings for sperm, baleen, and right whales, while this chart displays data on actual catches only of sperm and baleen whales. <br></br> [1] Online. Atlas of the living resources of the ses. United Nations FAO. http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/metadata.show?id=9505&currTab=simple <br></br> (Atlas des resources biologiques des mers; Atlas de los recursos vivos del mar)
5420		Details	Maury, Matthew Fontaine	1972	Maurys Whale Chart 5th Edition Maury, Matthew Fontaine 1972 LOC:0	$1,500.00	Maury--Matthew-Fontaine	Maurys-Whale-Chart-5th-Edition	Scarce official U.S. thematic chart of reported whale sightings by geographic area, whale species, and relative number of sightings (5th ed. ca. 1972). An early example of the graphical display of quantitative information for decision making. The chart shows the best whaling areas and migration patterns for sperm whales and right whales, as well as the most densely populated areas of "Straggling" Sperm Whales and Right Whales." Chart # 5018. <br></br> Matthew Maury's Whale Chart, was first issued by the United States Bureau of Ordnance & Hydrography in 1851. This is the official U.S. fifth (5th.) edition, from the United States Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center in the 1970s. The DMA existed from 1972 through 1996. The first edition of Maury's Whale Chart is extremely rare on the market. Only one sale of Maury's chart is recorded in the Antique Map Price Record. <br/></br/> The last three editions of Maury's Whale Chart may be identified thus: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li><b>Third Edition (1956)</b></br> Upper top left position with logo of eagle clutching items in claws surrounded by text: "Hydrographic Office U.S. Navy". Top right position is blank. Bottom right position reads "Price 20 cents / H.O. Miscel. No. 8514".</li> <li><b>Fourth edition (1960)</b></br> Upper top left position with logo of eagle over an anchor surrounded by text: "United States Hydrographical Office". Top right position reads "Catalog: Introduction. Part 1.". Bottom right position reads "Price 50 cents / H.O. Miscel. No. 8514" . </li> <li><b>Fifth edition (after 1972)</b></br> Upper top left with logo containing an eagle perched on a globe with text "Defense Mapping Agency". Top right position reads "Catalog P2V10". Bottom right reads "Lith of Wm. Endicott & Co. N. York | 5018 | DMA Stock Number | W0XZC5018.</li> </ul> </div>
5417		Details	Youth International Party Information Service	1983	Fine 1983 World Cannabis March on the U.N. Poster Youth International Party Information Service 1983 LOC:87	$265.00	Youth-International-Party-Information-Service	Fine-1983-World-Cannabis-March-on-the-U-N--Poster	Original, scarce, World Cannabis March on the U.N. poster on good-quality newsprint from a Yipster underground newspaper. The "World Cannabis March", sponsored by the 5th Avenue Pot Parade Coalition, featured speakers, a holistic massage workshop, and reggae music. <br></br> Purpose was to advertise a protest parade in New York City against the Reagan Administration's policies on cannabis. Reagan's policies diverted funds from the enforcement of hard drug laws to enforcement of the marijuana statutes, considered by many at the time to be a less harmful "soft" drug. <br></br> The march was scheduled to start at 11 A.M. May 7, 1983 at Washington Square Park in New York City.
5408		Details	Franzen, Dana	1985	Fine 1985 World Cannabis March on the U.N. Poster Franzen, Dana 1985 LOC:87	$275.00	Franzen--Dana	Fine-1985-World-Cannabis-March-on-the-U-N--Poster	Stunning, scarce, original World Cannabis March on the U.N. poster (1985) on heavier, better-quality newsprint. Designed by Dana Franzen for A Yipster Times Publication. The poster was a center-fold insert. <br></br> The intent of the poster was to advertise a protest parade in New York City against the Reagan Administration's strict policies on cannabis. The march was to start "before high noon" on May 4, 1985 at Washington Square Park. <br></br> Contains text likely to appeal to members of the counter-culture who understood the double entendre meaning of some of the poster's copy:</br> "Appeal to a <b>higher power</b>"</br> "Meet at Washington Sq. Park before <b>high noon</b>"
5385		Details	British Information Services	1942	Fine pictorial WWII-era map of the British Commonwealth of Nations British Information Services 1942 LOC:	$300.00	British-Information-Services	Fine-pictorial-WWII-era-map-of-the-British-Commonwealth-of-Nations	Fine pictorial world map showing the British Commonwealth of Nations. Issued during WWII by the British Information Services, an agency of the British Government. Mercator projection. <br></br> Includes two inset tables:<br> 1) "Forms of Government". This key uses color to signify the form of government administration and management of internal and external affairs. <br> 2) "Principal Products". A tabular representation by geographical area uses pictograms to represent the most valuable products produced in the Commonwealth. <br></br> Distributed by the British Information Services, an agency of the British Government, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York. Printed in England.
5374		Details	Millot, Philippe	1620	Rare celestial diagram by engraver Philippe Millot. Millot, Philippe 1620 LOC:13	$550.00	Millot--Philippe	Rare-celestial-diagram-by-engraver-Philippe-Millot-	Rare celestial diagram signed by French master engraver Philippe Millot ca 1620: "Totius Corporeæ Machinæ ex 12 Coelis et 4 Elementis Compactæ Descriptio." Folio 98. <br></br> No copy of this item is found online. Latin text.
4806		Details	Wilcox and Follett Co.	1944	Advertisement for Octovue Map on Pitner's Projection Wilcox and Follett Co. 1944 LOC:88	$350.00	Wilcox-and-Follett-Co-	Advertisement-for-Octovue-Map-on-Pitner-s-Projection	Scarce color brochure from 1944 explains and promotes Wilcox and Follet Co's Octovue map, their <b>New Air Age Educational -- Indispensable! WORLD MAP.</b> All on one single folding sheet printed front and back with 8 pages total in color. Folded size 5" x 8". <br></br> The Octovue map was one of the few maps to use the Pitner map projection. According to this brochure with the Pitner projection: <div class="indenttextblock"> "The globe is divided into eight uniform spherical triangular sections: four North and four South of the equator…. each transposed onto a flat surface. … the first map ever made to transpose the round world onto a flat sheet without distortion or exaggeration of shapes, sizes, and distances." </div> <br></br> Last page details what the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in <i>Elements of Map Projections</i> consider to be the "Ideal Map" and provides reasoning for consideration of the Octovue map over all others. <br></br> Copyright 1944 by L.E. Pitner. Brochure edited by Harold B. Ward Ph.D. F.R.G.S.
5194		Details	Pitner, L. E.	1944	Illustrated Octovue Map on Pitner's Projection Pitner, L. E. 1944 LOC:53	$350.00	Pitner--L--E-	Illustrated-Octovue-Map-on-Pitner-s-Projection	Rare and unusual world map on the Pitner projection. First edition. Illustrated with hundreds of small drawings of flora, fauna, native tribes, buildings, transportation and landmarks. With 5 inset maps on the Mercator and other more common projections. Card covers with map still attached. <br></br> The Illustrated World Octovue Projection Edited by Harold B. Ward Ph. D. F.R.G.S. Designed and Published by L.E. Pitner 229 W. Mineral Street, Milwaukee, Wis. Copyright November 3, 1944 by L.E. Pitner The Octovue map was one of the few maps to use the Pitner map projection. The Pitner projection is explained as: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> "The globe is divided into eight uniform spherical triangular sections: four North and four South of the equator…. each transposed onto a flat surface. … the first map ever made to transpose the round world onto a flat sheet without distortion or exaggeration of shapes, sizes, and distances." </div> An earlier version of the Pitner projection map was published in 1943 on a single-sided sheet as the "Air Age Octovue Map of the World". Again edited by Ward with a 1943 copyright by Pitner. That version of the map lacks the illustrations and some of the map elements from the verso of our map are on the recto of the 1943 version. <br></br> The Pitner projection was similar to the Lambert Azimuthal Equal-area projection. <br></br>
1413		Details	Bonne, Rigobert	1787	Antique Northern Polar Projection or Hemisphere Septentrional Bonne, Rigobert 1787 LOC:9	$180.00	Bonne--Rigobert	Antique-Northern-Polar-Projection-or-Hemisphere-Septentrional	Attractive North polar projection covering the Northern Hemisphere or "Hemisphere Septentrional" from the North Pole to the Equator. Early French copper-plate engraved map produced by Rigobert Bonne and crisply and finely engraved by Andre' to include mountain ranges and numerous place names. Surrounded by two tables of climatological data and a view of the "Sphere Parallele." Published in Paris in 1787. Plate 22. <br></br> Rigobert Bonne (1727-1794) was the successor to Jacques Nicolas Bellin as Royal Cartographer to France in the office of the Hydrographer at the Depôt de la Marine. Bonne first came to prominence when he published a number of charts in the Atlas Maritime in 1762, but Bonne is better known for later publications, including the Atlas Encyclopedique, which he collaborated on with Nicholas Desmarest, as well as the maps he produced for Raynal's Atlas de Toutes Les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre.
1423		Details	Anonymous	1890	19th-Century Map of North America Anonymous 1890 LOC:0	$55.00	Anonymous	19th-Century-Map-of-North-America	Two 19th-century maps on a single sheet. On recto is a bold, colorful map of North America. On the verso a map of the eastern Hemisphere.
1124		Details	Anonymous	1777	Ptolemaic armillary sphere Anonymous 1777 LOC:1	$100.00	Anonymous	Ptolemaic-armillary-sphere	Finely engraved Ptolemaic armillary sphere. This early engraving served as the source for a later similar image with celestial and terrestrial globes, published by Citoyen (Citizen) Berthelon in Paris ca. 1799, for the "Nouvelle Edition" of the Atlas Modern Portatif. <br></br> An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on the Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic. As such, the armillary sphere differs from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations. <br></br> With the Earth at the center, an armillary sphere is known as a Ptolemaic sphere. With the sun at center, it is known as a Copernican sphere.
1126		Details	Le Rouge, George	1760	Terrestrial and celestial globes Le Rouge, George 1760 LOC:0	$180.00	Le-Rouge--George	Terrestrial-and-celestial-globes	Antique old French copper-plate engraving ca. 1748 of two globes: a terrestrial globe and a celestial globe. A celestial globe is a spherical representation of the celestial sphere, showing the apparent positions of the stars and constellations in the sky. The engraving includes additional representations: of the points of the compass, a solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, and the relative sizes of the astronomical bodies. <br></br> From le Rouge's "Atlas Nouveau Portatif à l'usage des militaires et du voyageur" published from Paris. George Le Rouge was a Paris-based engineer and surveyor originally from Germany who had a shop on the Rue Des Grands Augustins. Le Rouge's tireless work earned him the title "Geographe du Roi".
1060		Details	Loots, Johannes	1708	Unrecorded Late Golden Age Dutch Sea Chart of the World Loots, Johannes 1708 LOC:0	$95,000.00	Loots--Johannes	Unrecorded-Late-Golden-Age-Dutch-Sea-Chart-of-the-World	Previously unrecorded nautical chart of the entire world by Dutch cartographer Johannes Loots. Not recorded in Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici. Not found online. Not in AMPR. <br></br> Likely the only Dutch late Golden-Age unrecorded world nautical chart to surface in the 21st century. Differs from other sea charts of the period in that Loots places van Diemen's Land much farther east (13 degrees) than the others (Robijn, Roggeveen, Goos, Morden, Keulen, Wit, Doncker, Moxon, Halley) all of whom tend to place van Diemen's Land at the longitude of the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula (de Fer an exception). One possible explanation for the mis-alignment is that Hendrik Doncker never included van Diemen's Land on his charts, and as Doncker's apprentice, Loots was never required to deal with that area. <br></br> Covers the entire world. Loot's newly-discovered chart with title cartouche in four languages (1) Is the only known example of any world chart by Loots. (2) Is of a unique design found in no other world chart. (3) Includes tracks of explorers in the southern passage up to 1708, include le Maire, Schouten, Halley and "Vaisseau St. Louis, 1708" the last, just one year after Loots disolved a partnership with Antoni de Winter and Claas de Vries. (4) Is on Mercator's projection. (5) Shows the “Terre Austral du St. Espirit”. <br></br> From Koeman's biography of Johanne's Loots (1665[6]-1726) we know Loots was born in Amsterdam and is not as is sometimes believed one of the two sons of Anthonie (Theunisz) Jacobsz who named themselves Lootsman to confuse cartographic researchers in future centuries. Loots served an apprenticeship under Hendrick Doncker . <br></br> Contact for price.
918		Details	Mallet, Allain Manesson	1683	Antique print of the terrestrial globe Mallet, Allain Manesson 1683 LOC:1	$55.00	Mallet--Allain-Manesson	Antique-print-of-the-terrestrial-globe	Charming antique print of a castle with hundreds of mounted soldiers streaming out towards nearby ships. Set into that background is a view of the globe including the North and South American continents with Europe and Africa. By Allain Mallet, Paris, 1683. <br></br> Published by Mallet in "Description de l'Univers". Allain Mallet (1630-1706) was a French engineer, soldier, and cartographer. He served in the court of King Louis XIV as a techer of mathematics. In addition to "Description de l'Univers" Mallet also published "Les Travaux de Mars ou l'Art de la Guerre".
429		Details	Senex, John	1786	Celestial Globe Senex, John 1786 LOC:1	$90.00	Senex--John	Celestial-Globe	Small delicate copperplate engraving of a John Senex armillary sphere possibly by Guthrie. Senex (1690-1740) was a successful London Fleet-street engraver and globe maker.
284		Details	Magini, Giovanni Antonio	1598	Descrittione di Tutto'l Mondo, Secondo la prattica de' Marinari Magini, Giovanni Antonio 1598 LOC:6	$850.00	Magini--Giovanni-Antonio	Descrittione-di-Tutto-l-Mondo--Secondo-la-prattica-de--Marinari	Exquisitely-engraved small antique chart of the entire world by Tolomeo Magini executed in the style one would find in larger sea charts of the late 16th century, with rhumb lines. At the time the copperplate engraving was made the outlines of the continents were becoming more accurate. This chart reflects those cartographic achievements with the glaring exception of a large southern landmass "Terra Australis Nondum Cognita", which stretches from West to East at the chart bottom. Much finely engraved detail and calligraphy by Porro with stippling throughout all the world's oceans and seas.<BR> </BR> 5" x 7" engraving set in a larger sheet of Italian text measuring 8" x 12". <BR> </BR> Verso contains text descriptions of Caribbean islands with large woodcut capitals. These descriptions include the islands of Jamaica (L' Isola Iamaica, o di S. Iacomo), Cuba (L' Isole Cuba, o Fernandina) and Canibalori (L'Isole de Canibalori, o de Caribi). Overall a very interesting piece. Chapter 35.