Cartographic gateways
Bibliographia Cartographica – International Documentation of cartographical literature
International Documentation of cartographical literature
Since 2007 the map department of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin has made available online the Bibliographia Cartographica (BC), a database listing international scientific literature relating to cartography. The database was created in 1989 in consultation with the working group Bibliography of cartographical literature (Bibliographie des kartographischen Schrifttums) of the German Cartographic Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kartographie - DGfK). Currently, the BC online lists c. 32 000 articles, published in journals, multi-author works and serials, as well as 5 600 monographs relating to cartography. About 1 500 new titles are added every year. Around 162 international journals are regularly indexed. The BC also provides links to open access online publications.The last printed version of the BC, volume 34, was published in 2012. Scientific literature published later than 2006 has only been included in the online version, literature published before 1989 should be searched for in the printed editions of the BC.
https://bc.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/
Europeana Maps and Geography
Europeana Maps and Geography explores maps, the history of cartography, geography and geographical discoveries. Discover maps, globes, charts and more from the collections of Europe's museums, galleries, libraries and archives.
https://www.europeana.eu/en/themes/maps-and-geography
Google Arts & Culture - Carte géographique
Google Arts & Culture - Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner museums.
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m04_tb
The Internet Archive
As books become old and begin to fall apart, librarians depend on micro-form to preserve their content for the future. While microfilm is perfect for storing and protecting this material, it is a does not allow for much access. In following its mission to provide universal access to all human knowledge, the Internet Archive is teaming up with libraries all over the world to begin digitizing microfilm and microfiche. The books in this collection are from a variety of libraries including the University of Chicago Libraries, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Alberta, and the National Technical Information Service. This service provides an unique opportunity to search for cartography related books (in pdf format) that are nowadays hard to find.
Old Maps Online
The OldMapsOnline Portal is an easy-to-use gateway to historical maps in libraries around the world.It allows the user to search for online digital historical maps across numerous different collections via a geographical search. Search by typing a place-name or by clicking in the map window, and narrow by date. The search results provide a direct link to the map image on the website of the host institution.OldMapsOnline has been created by a collaboration between The Great Britain Historical GIS Project based at The University of Portsmouth, UK and Klokan Technologies GmbH, Switzerland.
H-Maps
H-Maps is an international digital forum in the historical study of the making, circulation, use and preservation of maps from the ancient to the contemporary period. Because of its international nature, H-Maps welcomes contributions in world languages, including (but not limited to) English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. H-Maps is a collaboration between the International Society for the History of the Map (ISHMap) and H-Net to further substantive inquiry among a growing number of global scholars with an interest in the history of maps and mapping.
https://networks.h-net.org/h-maps
Wikimedia - Wikiversity:Kartensammlung
http://de.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Kartensammlung
Cartesius - Maps, plans, sketches and aerial imagery
The most beautiful plans, maps and aerial photographs of Belgium and Central Africa online. A unique cooperation by the National Geographic Institute, the Royal Library, the State Archives and the Royal Museum for Central Africa. The collection keeps expanding, have a look at it regularly.
WalOnMap - The Walloon online cartographic library and gateway
The Geoportal is the Walloon geographical information website. Although its primary vocation is to disseminate this information to the greatest number of people, it also plays the role of relaying the activity of the Walloon geomatics community. Indeed, although it is managed by the Public Service of Wallonia, the Geoportal is in fact the result of the work of a multitude of contributors active in the field of geomatics in Wallonia. It offers, in mosaic, several old maps of the Walloon territory.
https://geoportail.wallonie.be/
Geopunt
Geopunt is a product of Digitaal Vlaanderen, the digitisation agency of the Flemish government.
Kartenportal.CH
Kartenportal.CH is the specialist portal for maps from libraries and archives in Switzerland. The metacatalogue provided contains half a million maps from all over the world – from mediaeval manuscript maps to current printed ones. Find the maps to suit your needs quickly and simply using the map search. The site contains also a news blog about map history (with special focus on Switzerland).
http://www.kartenportal.ch/en/
Historical Maps of the Habsburg Empire
Mapire enables the user to navigate historical maps of the Habsburg empire using state-of-the art technologies including Google Maps, Google Earth and OpenStreetMap. The main goal is to create an international collaboration to make this content available to the world in a common interface using latest GIS features.
Military surveys - The current version of Mapire contains the first military survey (1764-1784) as well as the second military survey (1806-1869). Both of them is scaled 1 to 28 800 and covers the entire Habsburg empire. This magnificent archival content is world-wide unique in sense of antiqueness, resolution and artistical implementation. The 1:25 000 scale map sheets of the third military survey (1869-1887) cover the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom while the ones scaled 1 to 75 000 cover all the empire. It includes maps of the Austrian Netherlands (1764-1771).
Cadastral maps - Cadastral maps were made in all the territories of the Habsburg Empire during the 19th century. The survey was unified scale (1:2880), same geodetic system and same legend. We are continuously updating the content with Hungarian and Croatian map sheets.
Historical maps of Budapest - Historical maps of Budapest (capital of Hungary) are masterpieces of the map series representing the territory of Budapest. The surveys were carried out from 18th century to middle of 20th century with different, but detailed scale (1:720 to 1:5000), thus we can follow the changes and evolution of the city. The accuracy of georeferencing is 15-20 metres.
Rijksstudio
In Rijksstudio, which can be found on the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam website, more than 700 000 objects have been released with high resolution images. Rijksstudio offers the possibility to create your own works of art based on works from the collection. As far as ancient cartography is concerned, hundreds of ancient maps from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century are freely available.
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio
Moll's map collection
The Moll Collection is a commonly used name for the atlas, collected in the 1740s and 1750s by the German diplomat Bernhard Paul Moll. The collection includes, in accordance with the original concept of an atlas, graphical representations of cities and landscapes as well as their generalised schematic drawings — maps. On request of the owner it was also supplemented by a number of drawings representing mines and ancient monuments. The choice to create a separate web-site for the Moll collection is due primarily to its unique and compact nature, which quite accurately reflects the composition of the collection designed by Bernhard Paul Moll himself in the mid-18th century and illustrates the nature of collecting at that time. In the current online library catalogue, this structure would have completely disappeared. Thanks to the digitisation of the entire file, including the manuscript catalogues, users may link Moll's original records with the maps and their individual parts in the future. The ambition of the site is not only to offer a service to a narrow circle of specialists, but to appeal to all people interested in cartographic production of the past centuries. Especially with regard to these visitors, the site will offer virtual exhibitions of landscape paintings and maps, accompanied by popular texts.
Libraries and official institutions
Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
The Academy's library and archives hold, among other things, the collections of the Royal Belgian Geographical Society.
https://tresorsdelacademie.be/fr
AfricaMuseum (Royal Museum for Central Africa)
Tervuren, BelgiumThe Research Institute and particularly his Department of History and General Scientific Services has an important cartographic collection: some 3 000 maps of Africa from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The maps from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries concern Congo during the colonial period.
National Geographical Institut - Historical maps
Since 2020, the maps collections have been transferred to KBR (Royal Library of Belgium) and the Africa Museum. The archives are now held at the State Archives of Belgium.
https://ngi.be/fr/offre/cartes-et-photos/cartes-historiques/ (French)
https://ngi.be/aanbod/kaarten-en-fotos/historische-kaarten/ (Dutch)
KBR (Royal Library of Belgium)- Maps and Plans
On this site publications about the history of cartography of Belgium can be consulted.
https://www.kbr.be/en/collections/maps-and-plans/
Royal Military Museum - Map Room
The Royal Military Museum safeguards one of the most important collections of old maps and atlases in Belgium. The three other institutions keeping such items are the National State Archives, the Royal Library and the National Geographic Institute.
The Museum collection counts over 20,000 Belgian and foreign maps, blueprints of military buildings and atlases, from the 16th till the 20th century. We draw the attention to a unique collection of Belgian, French, British and German trench maps.
https://klm-mra.be/en/map-room
State Archives of Belgium
The National Archives and State Archives in the Provinces, in short the ‘State Archives’, is a federal scientific institution of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO). The institution is composed of the National Archives in Brussels and 19 State Archives repositories throughout the country.
Allard Pierson (University of Amsterdam) - Cartography, geography and travel
The Allard Pierson manages a vast collection of maps and atlases. Not surprising, since in the 17th century Amsterdam was the cartographic capital of the world, seen from the Western perspective. The map collections of the Allard Pierson are among the largest in the Netherlands and among the larger ones in the world.
https://www.allardpierson.nl/en/cartography-geography-and-travel
Bibliothèque de Genève, Cartes et plans
Designed at the beginning of the 20th century to make geographical science accessible to as many people as possible, the collection of maps and plans comprises more than 45,000 items.
https://www.bge-geneve.ch/collections/cartes-plans
Biblioteca nacional de España - Geografía y mapas
From the very beginning of the Royal Library, the presence of maps and plans was very important given the political and administrative significance of these documents. In both the Royal Library and the early National Library, Geography and Travel and Astronomy held a prominent place among the various disciplines they housed. Evidence of this is that what is considered the library's first catalog, written in 1729 by the librarian Juan de Iriarte, is specifically dedicated to its cartographic holdings: "Regia Matritensis Biblioteca Geographica et Chronológica".
https://bne.es/es/colecciones/geografia-mapas#
BNE Digital
Digital portal of the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
https://bnedigital.bne.es/bd/es/simple
Bibliothèque nationale de France - Département des Cartes et plans
The Département des Cartes et plans (Maps and Plans Department) of the BnF is an international centre of excellence in the field of cartographic and geographic information. It is rich in two centuries of collecting, reporting and welcoming the public. Dating from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, its collections of maps, plans, atlases and globes, books and periodicals come from French and foreign production. They meet the needs of researchers in their great diversity. The department also houses the collections of the Société de géographie: maps, prints and manuscripts, photographs.
https://www.bnf.fr/fr/departement-cartes-et-plans
Gallica
Very extensive website of the Bibliothèque nationale de France with entrances to several historical documents.
Bodleian Library - Map Room
The Map Room houses the world's seventh largest collection of maps. Well over one million sheet maps and 20 000 atlases are available to readers. The collections include early examples of cartography, such as the fourteenth century Gough Map, portolan charts, estate maps and many atlases.
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/maps
The British Library Map Collections
The focal point of the British Library Map Collections is the Map Library which provides access to maps, atlases and globes of all parts of the world dating back to the fifteenth century. It also acts as a Library-wide advisory service for cartographic materials dating back to the early medieval period.
https://bl.libguides.com/reference-services/maps
Cambridge Digital Library
Maps are powerful objects, created and used for many varied reasons. They can be works of art, a means of propaganda, reflections of power and status, or tools for navigation. They give you the chance to follow the footsteps of those who lived centuries ago and to view the structures that would have been visible to them at the time.By some estimates as much as 80 per cent of information circulating in the world is related to geospatial location. To gain the most from that information you will probably need to know more about that place – where it is; what it is like; how it relates to other locations; how it has changed through time. The Map Department of Cambridge University Library with its 1.3 million maps and over 40 000 atlases and books on cartography can help you to answer these questions (and many more).The printed and manuscript maps and atlases in the Map Department cover the whole world in a range of scales, from detailed topographic maps showing the lie of the land and the man-made features resting upon it, to world maps showing ocean currents or time zones. The maps were compiled for a variety of purposes – through propaganda to art and science – and show different types of information, like geology, climate, transport, streets and historical events. Items in the collection range in date from the fifteenth century to the present day and as well as being used to tell the history of a place, they can be studied in their own right as works of art, as reflections of the society in which they were made, as a means of understanding how such items were made and why.
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/maps/1
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Map Collection
The most significant university map collection in Central Europe.
Let us mention:
- Digital Atlases
- Globes of the Map Collection of Charles University (84 globes, tellurions and a armillary sphere)
- Georeferencing
http://mapovasbirka.cz/index_en.html
The Gotha Perthes Collection
The Perthes Collection came from the historical holdings of the Gotha-based Justus Perthes Verlag (Justus Perthes publishing house). It provides unique source material relating to the development of cartography and geography in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result of the cohesion and interlinking of its holdings, the Collection documents the last phase of the age of discovery, during which the interior regions of the non-European continents and the polar regions were explored.
The Research Library, housed in Gotha’s Friedenstein Castle, holds a remarkable collection on early modern and modern cultural history. After Berlin and Munich and alongside the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, it houses the most significant collection in Germany of historical sources from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. To these were added in 2003 the Perthes Collection Gotha from the holdings of the Justus Perthes Gotha press, established in 1785. It is considered one of the most significant cartographic collections worldwide.
The library holds, keeps, and catalogues these sources, which are part of a European cultural heritage. The library collection encompasses c. 700 000 prints, of which about 350 000 are early modern. To this are added c. 11 500 manuscript volumes containing a considerable collection of manuscripts, autographs, and literary remains pertaining, among other things, to the cultural history of early modern Protestantism, as well as a collection of some 3 500 oriental manuscripts – the third largest of its kind in Germany. Moreover, the library holds a remarkable collection of letters by German emigrants to America.
The Perthes collection with its collection of maps, cartographic library, and the press archives offers a unique collection in situ. The cartographic collection is comprised of c. 185 000 maps from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, produced by Perthes and other cartographic printers throughout the world.
The cartographic-geographic library holds 120 000 volumes, a genealogical-statistical book collection.The press’ archive, with 800 linear metres of archival material, includes, inter alia, the transmission of the editing of Petermann’s Geographische Mitteilungen, a collection of the press’specimen copies, as well as 1 650 copper plates.
The maps, atlases and periodicals published by Perthes, most notably Stielers Handatlas (Stieler’s Hand-Atlas) and Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen (Petermann’s Geographical Observations), shaped the scientific view of the earth until well into the 20th century and popularised it with the general public.
Publications concerned with genealogical statistics, including the Almanach de Gotha (Gotha Almanac / Gothaischer Hofkalender (Gotha Court Calendar), the definitive biographical encyclopaedia of European nobility, constituted the second key area of the publisher’s profile.
The Perthes collection is housed in the Perthes-Forum close-by Friedenstein Castle.
Using funds provided by the Kulturstiftung der Länder (KSL) (Federal Cultural Foundation), the Perthes Collection was acquired by the Free State of Thuringia in 2003 and integrated into the Gotha Research Library.
https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/forschungscampus-gotha/campus-gotha/akteure/wissen-global
Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya (Spain)
Information on the cartographic studies and cartographic activities by the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya.
Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) - Atlases
The cartographic collection of the KB contains a large number of old atlases (approx. 350) and old maps (approx. 2,500), such as the eleven-volume Blaeu atlas and Frederick de Wit's beautifully detailed City Atlas.
https://collecties.kb.nl/en/collections/atlases
National Archives of the former French Colonies
Online access to The National Archives of Aix-en-Provence in France. This database contains photographs, postcards, posters, drawings, plans of fortresses and maps related to the first and second French colonial empires (17th - mid 20th century). A vast amount of information on the French colonies in Indochine, Madagascar, Africa and North America is available in these archives. The database can be searched by author, printer, editor, region, title, year of publication and a detailed description of each document is provided.
https://archives-nationales-outre-mer.culture.gouv.fr/
National Library of Scotland: Maps of Scotland
The largest map collection in Scotland with around two million cartographic items. These include over 1.5 million sheet maps, 15 000 atlases, 100 000 maps on microfilm and more than 250 000 digital maps. The Library's holdings cover all parts of the world, through some 700 years, from medieval manuscript maps to current digital mapping. Over 4 000 high resolution images of early maps of Scotland and related texts can be consulted: maps of Scotland (1560-1928), Pont's Maps of Scotland (1583-c.1596), military maps of Scotland (eighteenth century); Ordnance Survey town plans (1847-1895) and Blaeu's Atlas of Scotland (1654). The Library also features a Scottish Map Forum wich publishes a free newsletter Cairt that can be downloaded.
Riccardia Library
Images from Braun & Hogenberg's Civitates orbis terrarum, Joan Blaeu's Theatrum Civitatum Italiae and Van Linschoten's Itinerario can be consulted on the website of the Riccardia Library in Firenze.
http://www.istitutodatini.it/biblio/images/it/riccard/10939/htm/10941vI.htm
Riksarkivet (The Military Archives of Sweden)
Archives dating from the 16th century until present times. Maps from all over the world.
The Ryhiner Map Collection
The Ryhiner map collection of the University Library of Berne is one of the most valuable and outstanding collections of the world. It consists of more than 16 000 maps, charts, plans and views from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, covering the whole globe. Together with the 20 000 manuscript maps of the State Archives, the Canton of Berne owns not only a local, but a worldwide geographical memory. (Also in German available).
SHOM (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine)
SHOM, French heir to the oldest hydrographic service in the world founded in 1720, has been collecting, monitoring and archiving data on the coastline and marine environment since that time. In 2016, as part of the ARCHIPEL (ARCHIves Patrimoniales En Ligne) project, SHOM has digitised 10 000 cartographic documents from its historical maritime and coastal archives worldwide.This unpublished extract of 300 years of coastal and ocean history, archived by SHOM, is composed of around 3 300 nautical charts, the oldest dating from the end of the 18th century, and 6 700 hydrographic survey plans from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day.
Uppsala University Library - Maps
The map collection of Uppsala University Library.
https://www.uu.se/en/library/finding-materials/find-by-material-type/maps
Zentralbibliothek Zürich - Map department
The collection is impressive in both range and depth. The Zentralbibliothek Zürich pursues an active purchasing policy and possess material dating from the sixteenth century to the present day. It has a comprehensive collection of material concerning the City of Zürich and its environs. Also in the 300 000 map sheets assortment: an extensive national and international collection with indigenous material from all continents well represented within the same time scale.
Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia - Mapoteca Digital
The Mapoteca Digital is an ongoing project led by the National Library of Colombia, with the support of Razón Cartográfica, Red de historia de las geográficas y cartográficas de Colombia, for the collection, preservation, description, management and dissemination of the cartographic heritage related to Colombia, and which is dispersed at the regional, national and international level in both private collections and public institutions.The Mapoteca Digital provides online access to maps of Colombia and neighboring countries since the sixteenth century, as well as maps of the rest of the world and the Americas since colonial times. The Mapoteca Digital is part of the Oldmapsonline.org project.
https://bibliotecanacional.gov.co/es-co/colecciones/biblioteca-digital/mapoteca/
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
This online collection focuses on eighteenth and nineteenth century North and South American cartographic materials. The site provides very sophisticated, high-resolution access to images of representative examples from the collection, and has an excellent search facility to locate maps in the collection.
Hargrett rare book and manuscript library rare map collection
The Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia maintains a collection of more than 800 historic maps spanning nearly 500 years, from the sixteenth century through the early twentieth century. The collection provides a graphic resource upon which scholars can draw in re-discovering the minds and movements of early American explorers, revolutionary statesmen, cultural figures and politicians represented by the library's book and manuscript collections.
https://dlg.usg.edu/collection/guan_hmap
The James Ford Bell Library
The James Ford Bell Library is a collection of 15 000 rare books, 2 500 maps, and 2 500 manuscripts from the period 1400-1800, documenting the expansion of Europe. The website includes high resolution images of many fine historical maps.
The Kraus Map Collection
The Ransom Center has only one notable collection of individual maps and globes: the Kraus Map Collection, representing nearly the entire contents of Catalogue 124: Monumenta Cartographica from the New York antiquarian dealer Hans P. Kraus. This 1969 catalogue featured a wide range of individual maps of Europe and America, a few atlases, and a group of manuscript letters by Abraham Ortelius. A supplement included a group of globes, including celestial and terrestrial globes by Vincenzo Coronelli and a 1541 Mercator globe.
http://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/krausmaps/
Library of Congress - Geography and Map Division
The Geography and Map Division (G&M) of the Library of Congress has custody of the largest and most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world with collections numbering over 4.8 million maps including 65 000 atlases, 6 000 reference works, over 350 globes, and numerous plastic relief models, and a large number of cartographic materials in other formats, including electronic.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/
American Map Collections: 1500-2004
The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digital form. Map Collections is organized according to seven major categories: cities and towns, cultural landscapes, conservation and environment, military battles and campaigns, discovery and exploration, transportation and communication and general maps.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
Geography and Maps - An illustrated guide
http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/
Lloyd Reeds Map Collection
The Lloyd Reeds Map Collection supports the cartographic and geographic needs of McMaster's students, staff, and faculty. It provides researchers with access to technology and materials, including a wide range of maps, aerial photos, plans, and other cartographic materials--both modern and historical.
https://library.mcmaster.ca/spaces/maps
Map library of the University of Texas
Maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection can be viewed online. Maps from all over the world (with special interest in maps of Texas).
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Collection of Civil War Maps and Nautical Charts
Office of Coast Survey's Historical Map & Chart Collection covers the land and waters of the United States of America, including territories and possessions (past and present). The images are free to download, and may be used for commercial or educational purposes. Although not required, we encourage users to cite "NOAA's Historical Map & Chart Collection" when using the image(s).
https://historicalcharts.noaa.gov/
National Library of Australia - Trove
Search Trove to explore amazing collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives. Maps of Australia and the world. Includes printed sheets, atlases, globes, aerial photographs, star charts, nautical charts and tourist maps.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/map?q=
Newberry Library
As one of the world's leading independent research libraries, the Newberry Library's collection embraces the history and literature of the civilizations of Western Europe and the Americas from the Middle Ages through World War I. For many fields, notably Chicago history, genealogy and local history, cartography, and printing, there are also rich sources for the twentieth century. The collection numbers some 1.5 million books, five million manuscript pages, and 300 000 historic maps.
https://www.newberry.org/collection/subjects/maps-travel-and-exploration
New York Public Library - Digital Gallery
The New York Public Library Digital Gallery provides access to over 275 000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more. The map section contains hundreds of maps of North America from the earliest printed portrayals to the close of the nineteenth century; multiple versions and editions allow for historical comparisons. All maps can be looked at in detail and come with a extensive carto-bibliography.
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
Northwestern University Library: Government Information and Maps Collection
Northwestern University Libraries offers a vast collection of government and cartographic materials. Highlights include digital access to World War II posters and League of Nations documents, alongside an expanding online map and atlas collection.
University of Alberta, William C. Wonders Map Collection
The library owns over 550 .000 maps, from places all over the world. The oldest maps are 1493 Schedel Buda, from Nuremberg Chronicle, and 1556 Ramusio La Nuova Francia and Hochelaga. The most valuable item is Ortelius Theatrum Orbis Terrarum,1587.
https://guides.library.ualberta.ca/map-collection-resources/home
Yale Map Collection
The Yale Map Collection has the largest collection of maps in Connecticut and one of the largest university collections in the United States. Its collections are geographically comprehensive and consist of over 200 000 map sheets, 3 000 atlases, and 900 reference books. Many of these maps can be viewed online.
Cartographic journals and editors
Caert-Thresoor, the Dutch Cartographic Journal
Caert-Thresoor is the only magazine published in the Netherlands to devote its efforts to the history of cartography. The articles pay attention to various aspects of historical cartography, such as plans of towns, fortifications and gardens, developments in styles of decoration and activities of individual mapmakers, engravers and publishers. Room is available for contributions on Dutch maps collections and for announcements of findings of unusual items. Generally, each issue contains two or three articles, reviews, news and announcements — Varia Cartographica — and listings of new literature and facsimile's. The language of publication is Dutch, articles have a summary in English.
ISSN 0167-4994
e-Perimetron
A non-for-profit peer reviewed international journal that deals with humanistic, artistic, scientific and technological issues related to map history and cartographic heritage.
ISSN 1790-3769
The Globe
The Globe is the journal of the Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc. (ANZMapS). It includes selected papers from the ANZMapS annual conference, contributed articles, reviews and reports. Articles and papers are peer-reviewed.
https://www.anzmaps.org/publications/
ISSN 0311-3930
Imago Mundi, The International Journal for the History of Cartography
Imago Mundi is the only English-language scholarly periodical devoted exclusively to the history of maps, mapping and map-related ideas. It deals with all facets of the history and interpretation of maps and map-making in any part of the world, at any period. The journal is now multi-disciplinary and over the last few years Imago Mundi has carried the insights of geographers, historians, art historians, historians of science, social scientists, and literary scholars.
https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rimu20
ISSN 0308-5694
IMCoS Journal
Journal of the International Map Collectors' Society. This contains a calendar of events, articles on various aspects of mapping, a selection of the papers presented at IMCoS Symposia, summaries of meetings, book reviews, exhibition news, letters to the editor, reports from International Representatives, messages from the society officers and advertisements.
ISSN 0956-5728
MapForum Magazine
The magazine aims to promote interest in and study of old maps, catering for the novice and the experienced collector by providing articles at all levels of interest and expertise. Principal features are: The Map Collectors' Circle Series', collations of atlases, cartographic curiosities and items of ephemera, map libraries, dealer's profiles, reader's services, on-going files of useful information and reviews of new books relating to Historical Cartography. Fifteen issues have been published on the net.
The Murillo Bulletin
The Murillo Bulletin is the journal of the Philippine Map Collectors Society (Phimcos - see below). It has been published twice a year since 2016. Issues are freely accessible via the society's website.
https://phimcos.org/publications/
The Neatline
Journal of the Texas Map Society, published since 1998. It is issued twice a year. It contains articles on various aspects of cartography, reports and announcements concerning new events of the Society, book reviews, news from regional archives and map collections, as well as advertisements.
https://texasmapsociety.org/newsletter-2/
The Portolan - Journal of the Washington Map Society
The Portolan, published thrice-yearly, was established to keep members informed of upcoming meetings, exhibitions, seminars and conferences; to provide listings of new books dealing with the history of cartography; and to provide information of specific interests to the membership. It has grown to nearly 80 pages, with original research and articles of interest to subscribers and institutions worldwide. An index and contents listing is at the website.
https://washmapsociety.wildapricot.org/about-the-portolan
ISSN 1096-1925
Revue de géographie historique
Créée en 2012 par Philippe Boulanger et Nicola Todorov, la Revue de géographie historique a pour objectif de diffuser l’information sur les grandes questions de géographie en valorisant la démarche historique. Elle est ouverte à différentes thématiques liées aux questions politiques, économiques, rurales, urbaines, sociales et culturelles en couvrant l’ensemble des régions de la planète.
https://journals.openedition.org/geohist/
ISSN 2264-2617
Terra Brasilis
Revista da Rede Brasileira de História da Geografia e Geografia Histórica
Terra Brasilis (New Series) is a publication from the Brazilian Network for Geography's History and Historical Geography, a nationwide collective of researchers specialized in the history of geography, historical geography, the history of geographical thought and the history of cartography, mainly focusing Brazil and Latin America. Issue 14 | 2020 (História da cartografia amazônica) is particularly dedicated to maps of the Amazon. Publication in open access.
https://journals.openedition.org/terrabrasilis/
ISSN 2316-7793
Terrae Incognitae
Annually published journal for the history of discoveries, edited by Dr. Lauren Beck (Mount Allison University). The journal contains articles and book reviews on this subject written by several eminent authors on the field. Some articles of current and previous issues can be consulted online.
https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ytin20
ISSN 0082-2884
Historia y Mapas
A blog about the history of cartography written in Spanish and English by our Member Luis A. Robles Macías.
https://historiaymapas.wordpress.com/
The History of Cartography project
The first volume of the History of Cartography was published in 1987 and the three books that constitute Volume Two appeared over the following eleven years. In 1987 the worldwide web did not exist, and since 1998 book publishing has gone through a revolution in the production and dissemination of work. Although the large format and high quality image reproduction of the printed books are still well-suited to the requirements for the publishing of maps, the online availability of material is a boon to scholars and map enthusiasts.
On the web site the University of Chicago Press is pleased to present the first three volumes of the History of Cartography in PDF format. Navigate to the PDFs from the left column. Each chapter of each book is a single PDF. The search box on the left allows searching across the content of all the PDFs that make up the first six books.
Cartographic associations
Le Comité Français de Cartographie (CFC)
The CFC's goal is to contribute to the development of cartographical methods and techniques and to stimulate research and exchange in this field, both on a national and international level. The CFC publishes several publications on cartography (Le Monde des Cartes, CFC Newsletter) and organises conferences and study days on topics related to cartography. This website also features interesting links to other cartography sites.
Defence Surveyors' Association
The Defence Surveyors' Association, or DSA, is a registered charity whose principal objectives are:
- To maintain a permanent liaison between serving and retired personnel, both military and civilian who work or who have worked in the defence domain where the focus is environmental information, hydrographic, oceanographic and geographic surveys, locating and target acquisition, navigation, and geospatial intelligence.
- To keep abreast of current issues of interest to this professional community.
- To recognise the most significant contributions within this community by both members of the Armed Forces and civilians through the award of annual prizes.
Topics covered by historical documents available on the Web site:
- World War I
- World War II
- SMS Precis - The tables list precis in use at the School of Military Survey in the period up to 1989.
Military Survey Unit Histories
- 13 Field Survey Squadron RE - A short history of the Squadron transcribed from the Souvenir Programme for the 150th anniversary of the formation of the unit.
- 14 Field Survey Squadron RE - A short history of 14 Fd Svy Sqn RE 1825-1975.
- 19 Topographic Squadron RE - A brief history of 19 Topo Sqn RE 1827-1977.
- Other Survey Unit Histories - Some documents refering to specific survey units have been included in this site but filed under the chronological periods covered by the unit histories.
- 250 Years of Military Survey - A history by Yolande Hodson and Alan Gordon published in 1997 to mark the 250th anniversary of Military Survey.
- Early Aeronautical Charts - This note highlights an episode in the fairly recent history of military mapping and charting for which the post First World War requirement for civil aeronautical charting was the catalyst.
- GSGS Mapping - A short explanation and an index to GSGS Mapping.
http://www.defencesurveyors.org.uk/
Hakluyt Society
Since its foundation in 1846, the Hakluyt Society has published scholarly editions of primary records of voyages and travels. Hakluyt Society books are often real-life adventure stories in the field of exploration, navigation, voyages of discovery and historical travel accounts.
International Cartographic Association
ICA is the world authoritative body for cartography, the discipline dealing with the conception, production, dissemination and study of maps. Its mission is to promote the discipline and profession of cartography in an international context. Also organizers of international cartographic conferences.
International Coronelli Society
The International Coronelli Society is devoted to the scientific investigation of questions relating to old and antique terrestrial and celestial globes, armillary spheres and planetaria, and the publication of the results of these investigations. Included in its activities are matters such as the drawing up of inventories, conservation and restoration work, research into the producers, and questions related to the use, of globes.
https://coronellidotorg.wpcomstaging.com/publications/
International Society for the History of the Map
The International Society for the History of the Map—or ISHMap—was founded in late 2011 with the mission of promoting the study of map history. They regularly organise events, including workshops for early-career researchers and a biennial symposium. The Society co-sponsors H-Maps, a discussion group for map and mapping historians, whether members or the general public (see above).
MAGIC - Map & Geoinformation Curators Group
The Map & Geoinformation Curator Group is a non for profit union of individuals dealing with Map Librarianship, Map Curatorship, and Map Archiving, representing Map Libraries, Map Archives, Map Collections and relevant entities dealing with cartographic material of analogue and digital type. MAGIC is associated with the ICA Commission on Digital Technologies in Cartographic Heritage.
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) is the Learned Society representing Geography and geographers. The Map Room of the Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) contains one of the largest private collections of maps and related material in the world: the one million sheets of maps and charts, 2 600 atlases, 40 globes (as gores or mounted on stands) and 700 gazetteers comprising the core of the Map Room's material form probably the world's largest private map collection.
https://www.rgs.org/our-collections
The Society for the History of Discoveries
This society was formed to stimulate interest in teaching, research, and publishing the history of geographical exploration. The scope of the Society's activities encompasses the discovery, exploration, and mapping of the earth's land and sea surface from earliest times to the present. Fields of specialization include the history of European expansion, cartography, navigation, colonial settlement, biography, and bibliography. The Society publishes Terrae Incognitae, a journal of research papers and book reviews, volumes in the series Studies in the History of Discovery and a spring Newsletter which reports on activities of the Society's members and general news related to the history of cartography, discovery, and exploration. This website has also a lot of interesting weblinks to other cartographical websites.
Société de géographie (France)
The Geographical Society is one of the oldest learned societies in France, founded in 1821 and recognised as a public utility since 1827. It is also the oldest geographical society in the world.
Associazione "Roberto Almagià" – Associazione Italiana Collezionisti di Cartografia Antica
The Association "Roberto Almagià" - Associazione Italiana Collezionisti di Cartografia Antica aims to promote the dissemination and knowledge of historical cartography and ancient prints.
It is open to collectors, scholars and connoisseurs of the subject, antiquarians, simple enthusiasts of historical cartography and ancient prints, institutions and cultural bodies that recognize themselves in these aims.
It has cultural and non-profit purposes.
Through his site, in addition to information on the structure and activities of the Association, it is intended to share some tools for orientation in the fascinating world of historical cartography and printed views, useful both for newcomers and experts. It is destined to be regularly enriched with new pages, reports and documents, made available to all Members and to those who are interested in the subject and interested in deepening the themes of our common cultural passion.
Since its constitution, the Association has tried to carry out an intense activity of divulgation and connection between collecting, academic environment, local institutions and cultural bodies.
This activity has already contributed to the organization of annual meetings and study opportunities, as well as to the preparation of exhibitions and the relative catalogues, in collaboration with other cartographic bodies and institutions.
In particular, she has actively contributed to the organisation of the Seminari di Studi Cartografia Storica e Collezionismo in Italia, hosted annually from 2005 to 2010 in Sant'Anatolia di Narco (PG), in Valnerina and, lastly, she has promoted the Annual Meeting of the "Roberto Almagià" Association, which has been held in Civitella del Lago (TR) since 2011.
As part of these events, which were attended by representatives of universities and cartographic institutions in Italy and abroad, the members of the Association also took care of the preparation of some exhibitions, making available the material taken from their collections, most of it unpublished. The Association's initiatives have been sponsored by the Società Geografica Italiana, the CISGE – Centro Italiano Per Gli Studi Storico-Geografici, the IUAV University of Venice, the Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism.
https://associazionealmagia.it//
Chartarum Amici - Friends of the Maps
Chartarum Amici is an informal club for collectors, researchers, and enthusiasts of old maps, founded on March 13, 1964. The main activities consist of member events held a couple of times a year, which are usually organized as visits to locations of interest to old map enthusiasts. We keep in touch with members through newsletters and a blog. The annual membership fee is 10 euros. Membership is free for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Helsinki.
https://blogs.helsinki.fi/chartarum-amici/
IMCoS, The International Map Collectors' Society
The International Map Collectors' Society — IMCoS — is for people who love maps. They are a not for profit organisation, based in London serving an expanding list of around 750 members from all over the world. IMCoS is the world's leading map society, recognised everywhere for its unique contribution to map collecting and collectors. IMCoS also encourages the study of cartographic history. Members include collectors, dealers, librarians, academics and just plain dabblers.
Malta Map Society
The aims of the Society are to support, encourage and disseminate the study and preservation of maps, with a particular emphasis on early maps. The Society is an independent, voluntary, non-profit organization.
Phimcos
The Philippine Map Collectors Society (PHIMCOS) was established in 2007 by a small group of enthusiasts in Manila for collectors of antique maps and prints in the Philippines. Membership of the society, is open to anyone interested in collecting, analysing or appreciating historical maps, charts, prints, paintings, photographs, postcards and books of the Philippines.
PHIMCOS holds quarterly general meetings, at which there are two or three presentations on maps, cartographers, and relevant Philippine history. Members and guests also discuss cartographic news, show each other new acquisitions and other items of interest, and are informed of administrative matters (decided at separate meetings of the board of trustees).
Phimcos publishes The Murillo Bulletin (see above).
The Texas Map Society
The Texas Map Society was organized in November 1996 to foster the study, understanding, preservation, restoration, and collection of historical maps as well as the general history of cartography. Membership only requires an interest in maps of any nature or focus. Members participate in special events and programs. TMS is one of only a few such societies in the United States and the only one in Texas.
Washington Map Society
The purpose of the Washington Map Society is to support and promote map collecting, cartography, and cartographic history. Since 1979 the Society has grown tremendously and our membership now includes current and former employees of Federal, state, and private map repositories; collectors with scholarly knowledge gained through years of study; individuals who enjoy selling maps — both old and new; and many members who simply love to learn about or collect maps.
Others
Atlas de Neederlanden
The Atlas of Neederlanden (AdN) is one of the highlights of the Special Collections of the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The AdN is a so-called factice atlas: the map collection of a (yet unknown) collector, bound in nine bands.The AdN is special for several reasons:
- All major topographic maps of the current Dutch territory in the period ca 1650-1815 are represented.
- The AdN contains 617 maps, which form a nearly complete picture of the Dutch landscape in that period.
- The collection contains some unique maps, printed and in manuscript, which are second to none.
- The phenomenon atlas factice is now rare. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was not unusual for a variety of maps to be bound into books, but today these atlases usually are taken apart again. The AdN is preserved in book form and is a particular example of an intact early nineteenth century map collection.
Why should the Atlas of Neederlanden now be restored? The condition of the AdN has long been a concern. Jan Werner, Curator of the Special Collections department, early 2010, launched a project to restore and digitize the AdN. The project was completed in 2014.
http://atlasderneederlanden.blogspot.com/
Atlas de Trudaine (Road atlas of France in the eighteenth century)
This website of the National Archives of France offers a collection of more than 3 000 manuscript maps (62 volumes) of the roads and country side of France in the eighteenth century made by Charles Daniel Trudaine between 1745 and 1780.Each volume covers one or more parts of France according to the election regions under the Ancien Régime. Every map is accompanied by a short description and can be looked at with great detail (website in French).
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/archim/atlasdetrudaine.htm
The Blaeu Atlas of Scotland (1654) online
The first Atlas of Scotland, containing 49 engraved maps and 154 pages of descriptive text can be looked into. Both maps and translated texts are available online.
http://maps.nls.uk/atlas/blaeu/
Blaeu's Theatrum orbis terrarum (Atlas novus) volume I online
Willem Janszoon and Joan's Blaeu first volume (Germany, Scandinavia, Netherlands) of the Atlas novus can be viewed on this site form the university of California (UCLA).
http://www.library.ucla.edu/yrl/reference/maps/blaeu/
Canadian GIS & Geomatics - Historic Cartography
An interesting web site - with some commercial parts - dedicated to the history of cartography in Canada with links to on-line maps.
http://canadiangis.com/geomatics/historic-cartography
Cartography - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
With a list of cartographers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartography
The Cartography of Brazil (1700-1822)
This website offers a systematic inventory and description of all the manuscript and printed maps at the National Library of Brazil related to eighteenth-century Brazil. The digital catalog can be searched based on map title, author, date, region and/or typology of the map. Every cataloged map is accompanied by an extensive description with bibliography and a digital picture.
http://purl.pt/103/1/index.html
The Cassini map maker dynasty and the Cassini Map of France
This website focuses on the cartographical achievements of the Cassini’s, one of the most famous map maker families of 17th and 18th century France. Biographical information, cartographical realisations, the science of 18th century map making and the making of the complete map of France for King Louis XV are described in detail. Moreover, it is possible to search for present locations and borders on the late 18th century map of France made by César-François Cassini de Thury.
http://cassini.ehess.fr/cassini/fr/html/index.htm
Celestial Maps
Atlascoelestis is a website on celestial maps and atlases from the 15th until the 20th century. Several celestial maps of astronomers as Piccolimi, Gallucci, Bayer, Cellarius, Hevelius, Doppelmayer, Flamsteed, Bode and Argelander can be consulted in detail. Individual star constellation as well as complete planispheres are included for further reference. The website is in Italian but also features an introduction to the subject in French.
http://www.atlascoelestis.com/
Chronoscope World
Chronoscope World is a time machine to explore the history of the world, browsing maps from the thirteenth until the twentieth century. More than 2 000 high-resolution maps can be displayed in a maps application on the correct geographic location. The search command finds the best fitting maps for the current view port. Several libraries have digitized and opened up their map collections, and provide means to use the maps inside the Chronoscope. As a result more than 2.000 high-quality maps from more than 42 institutions have been made available.Results are presented as previews on a map table. All outlines can be displayed at once for a fast overview. Filters can be applied for a time interval, the map scale or the library’s signature. ChronoAtlas is a web portal to access the meta data for historical maps in the collection of Leibnitz Institut für Länderkunde in specific. You can search and filter for any kind of information. Chronoscope World is based on Chronoscope Hamburg by broadening the perspective to the entire planet.
https://mprove.de/chronoscope/world-de.html
Denmark on the world map - An exhibition with maps online
E-exhibition of the Kongelige Bibliotek in Copenhagen. Denmark on the worldmap shows a picture of the history of danish mapping and the many maps produced during 500 years. From ancient to modern mapping of Denmark.
http://www2.kb.dk/kb/dept/nbo/kob/danmarkskort//eng.forsidetop.htm
DONum - BICfB
DONum is a repository of digitized objects developed by the partner institutions of the Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire de la Communauté française (BICfB) of Belgium.
Concretely, DONum brings together the digitized heritage collections within each partner institution. This portal therefore offers a single access point to several thousand digital objects kept in the libraries, archives, documentation centres or services of the various universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Belgium).
These collections present a great diversity: medieval manuscripts, scientific tools, ancient maps, old works, photographs, etc. This diversity reflects the heritage collections of our universities and therefore their history.
To browse these collections, you have of course access to a traditional research tool. We also offer you the opportunity to discover, in the form of thematic virtual exhibitions, some more specific digital collections. Among these, about 450 old maps dating from the 15th to the 20th century are available online.
France in America / France en Amérique
France in America / France en Amérique is a bilingual digital library made available by the Library of Congress and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. It explores the history of the French presence in North America from the first decades of the sixteenth century to the end of the nineteenth century.Through direct digital access to complete books, maps, prints, and other documents from the collections of the partner libraries, the project illuminates the role played by France in the exploration and settlement of the continent and its participation in several events which indelibly marked the history of the United States like the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the Louisiana Purchase. Among unique items available on the sites are versions of Samuel de Champlain's Voyages, Jacques Marquette's account of his voyage in North America in 1673 and Theodor de Bry's late sixteenth century illustrations of native Indian villages. The website of the Bibliothèque Nationale contains even additional cartographical documents such as the collection of North-America maps by the French cartographer d’Anville.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/dossiers/html/dossiers/FranceAmerique/fr/default.htm (Bibliothèque Nationale de Fance website)
http://international.loc.gov/intldl/fiahtml/fiahome.html (Library of Congress website)
Layers of London
Layers of London is a map-based history website developed by the Institute of Historical Research. Users can access free historic maps of London and contribute stories, memories and histories to create a social history resource about their area.Layers of London brings together, for the first time, a really important collection of digitised historic maps, photos and crowd-sources histories provided by the public and key partners across London.
https://www.layersoflondon.org/
Maps on Africa
The Afriterra Foundation is a non-profit Cartographic Library and Archive assembling and preserving the original rare maps of Africa in a definitive place for education and interpretation. Their searchable database contains more than 1400 maps focused on Africa, more than 1000 ultra-high-resolution digitized images, and over 1100 unique Creators (a Creator or Contributor is a person or organization that contributed to the creation and/or publication of a map).
Maps of Croatia
Website in English and German with a large collections of Croatia maps. A small picture of every map can be viewed and a description containing map maker, date and historical background of the map and mapmaker accompanies every map of this private collection.
http://www.felbar.com/de/index.asp
Maps for US genealogists
Ancestry.com features several hundred historical maps from all areas of the world, including helpful jurisdictional maps for every U.S. state.
http://search.ancestry.com/search/category.aspx?cat=44
The Medieval Gough Map
Interactive online version of the celebrated medieval ‘Gough Map’ of Great Britain. The original map is held in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. It probably dates from the fourteenth century but neither the identity of its author or its exact origins are known. As well as seeing a digital version of the Gough Map you will also be able to identify the features that the map shows, such as towns and cites, roads and rivers, and study historical data relating to these places.
Ortelius on the web
Both the sites of the University of Amsterdam and Marcel van den Broecke are excellent online sources on all the maps (and texts) of Ortelius different atlases.
Les plans cadastraux de Savoie en ligne (1728-1988)
Les différents cadastres couvrant l'actuel département de la Savoie
- Le cadastre sarde (1728-1738) est le plus ancien cadastre européen cartographié. Il concerne toutes les communes de Savoie. Ces plans cadastraux sont appellés « mappes ». Pour les quelques communes dont il manque la copie aquarellée, vous trouverez une reproduction de la mappe originale. - Les mappes originales, ont été dressées sur le terrain, elles sont tracées au crayon. - Les mappes aquarellées sont des copies des mappes originales.
- Les cartes tirées du cadastre sarde ont été dressées avec un outil de système d’information géographique (SIG). Deux cartes sont proposées pour chaque commune : la première représente la nature des parcelles (bâti, champ, vigne, pâturage, bois, etc.) ; la seconde indique les toponymes anciens (noms des mas et lieux-dits usités au XVIIIe siècle). 87 mappes ont ainsi été traitées et le programme se poursuit pour les autres communes.
- Le cadastre napoléonien (1809) n’a été réalisé en Savoie que pour les cantons d’Albertville, de Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny et d’Aiguebelle, soit 32 anciennes communes.
- Le premier cadastre français (1862-1945) concerne toutes les communes de Savoie. Cependant la collection n’est pas complète et certaines feuilles ou tableaux d’assemblage manquent.
- Le cadastre rénové (1933-1975) concerne 152 communes. Les plans de l’ancien arrondissement de Moûtiers n’ont pas été conservés par les services d’origine, ils se trouvent en principe en copie dans les communes.
- Enfin, la mise à jour de 1988 des cadastres rénovés entre 1933-1975 ne concerne que 77 communes autour de Chambéry.
http://www.savoie-archives.fr/index.php?id=1233
WatWasWaar.nl
This website is a national platform for historical-geographical information in the Netherlands. The website brings you all kind of information about every location in the country. The website enables you to find (military) maps, images and family history by searching through time and place. Mainly there are two ways to explore the site; free roaming and by filtering / using queries. Website in Dutch with English introduction.
Discontinued (but important) resources
Cartographica Helvetica
Cartographica Helvetica is a communication tool between scholars, map collectors and dealers. It aims to provide information on every aspect of early maps, their history as well as production methods. It is published in German (with English and French Summaries of the feature articles). However, the themes are international in scope. The articles deal with both Swiss and international maps and mapmakers.
The journal ceased publication in December 2021
http://www.kartengeschichte.ch/ch/d-main.html
Historic Cities
This site contains maps, literature, documents, books and other relevant material concerning the past, present and future of historic cities and facilitates the location of similar content on the web.
https://web.archive.org/web/20230624230311/http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il/historic_cities.html
History of maps
(Web site no longer maintained! Only accessible via Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Brief overview of the history of maps starting from maps created in Ancient civilizations to the magnificent maps of Gerard Mercator. The map making qualities of the Greek and Arabic world are more extensively discussed.
Maphist
MapHist was a Forum concerned with any aspect of the making and using of non-current maps. It was the continuation of the MapHist listserv (1994-2012). The Forum was discontued in 2016. The archives remain accessible via Wayback Machine.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160701000000*/http://www.maphist.nl/forum/
MapHistory - The History of Cartography
The gateway to the history of cartography. Old maps, early maps — non-current maps in general — are the subject of this site. Use this site to find the worthwhile information about old maps, both on the web and in the real world. The site's 100 pages offer comment and guidance, and over 3 000 annotated links — selected for relevance and quality. Since 1 January 2026, the website has been discontinued. The archives remain accessible via Wayback Machine.
https://web.archive.org/web/20250101000000*/www.maphistory.info
Mercator's World
Published between 1995 and April 2003.
Discontinued
ISSN 1086-6728
Oddens' Bookmarks - The Fascinating World of Maps and Mapping
This portal site has over 22 500 cartographic links, from map sellers to cartographic collections, from geographical societies to libraries with maps from all over the world. Also offers lists with cartography related exhibitions and events. The archives remain accessible via Wayback Machine.
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.html