Genre

Map

Featured Items

Detail of a hand colored, engraved print of Grenada shows a scene of naval warfare, as seen by smoke engulfing one ship.

Prise de l'isle de la Grenade...

Roger fils
1782
Detail of a colored manuscript map shows text in Spanish over Hispaniola reading "Isla de Sto. Domingo" with other smaller labels.

Descripcion de las costas de tierra firme de la America Septentrional

Antonio de Matos
1740
Detail of a printed map shows decorative elements such a sun, a person carrying arrows, ships and fish at sea, a scale, and a key with text in French at the bottom of the map.

Carte geographique de la Nouvelle France

Samuel de Champlain
1612
Detail of an engraved map of northeastern North America shows "Maryland," "Virginia," and other labels in English for forts and bodies of water.

[A new chart of the English Empire in North America]

Cyprian Southack
1717
Detail from an engraved, hand colored map shows vivid illustrations of celestial sphere with their constellations and zodiac signs around the sun. Labels in Dutch read "Taurus," "Orion," and "Saittarius."

The sea-atlas or the watter-world

Hendrick Doncker
1626-1699
Detail of a woodcut, hand-colored map depicting North and South America. Visible details include Cuba, written as "CVBA", a compass rose, and text in Italian.

La carta uniuersale della terra firma & isole delle Indie occidẽtali…

1534
Detail of a colored manuscript chart shows a small cluster of homes and palm trees with text in English reading "Indian Village of Sancopana."

An actual survey of the River Orinoco from the great mouth up to the City of Angostura

1803
hand colored map of north America

The north part of America...

Henry Briggs
1625

Related

photograph of John F López, assistant professor of art history at UC Davis, fellow at the John carter brown library for eight months
Our Fellows

John F. López, NEH Fellow

March 8, 2018

Ptolemy's Exquisite Geographia

February 6, 2018
photograph of elizabeth heath, assistant professor of history at Baruch College-CUNY

Elizabeth Heath Creates Digital Map to Explore Colonial France

May 1, 2017
group of people standing around a map on a table

Teaching through the JCB's collection

April 5, 2017
detailed manuscript plan of the city of Montevideo in present-day Uruguay, including location and names of inhabitants of the town, location of churches, fortifications, dwellings, gardens, and some topographical details
Collections Up Close

Montevideo: A City Between Empires

Fabrício Prado September 1, 2008
printed map of the world showing some lines of latitude and names of winds
Collections Up Close

Joan Apple and the Naming of America

July 5, 2008

See Also

Religious Cultures

South America