Theme

Business, Trade, and Economic History

Featured Items

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
stained title page of a printed pamphlet with a blue cover

Calendrier pour l’année 1807

1806-1807
Detail of a printed book shows a circular illustration and text in Spanish.

Suma de geographia...

Martin Fernandez de Enciso
1546
Detail of calf-bound book shows worn spine, embossed detail, and stamped title.

Secrete resolutien van de edele groot mog...

Johan de Witt
1717
Detail of a printed book shows a full-page illustration on the frontispiece showing a child carrying the world on their shoulders.

Atlas des Enfans, ou nouvelle methode pour apprendre la geographie,...

1784
Detail from book cover shows flower pattern with red details.

Descripçaõ da arvore assucareira

Hipolito Jose da Costa
1800
Detail of a hand colored manuscript estate plan shows a large compass rose and trees on the estate.

[Estate plan of 300 acres of land near Holetown, Barbados]

John Hapcott
1646
Detail of engraved, hand colored print of Quebec City shows fortifications, churches and cathedral, statehouse, ships, and dwellings. Also includes title reading "Quebec, the Capital of New France" and other text in English.

Quebec: The Capital of New France

Thomas Johnston
1759

Related

Image of Guaman Poma de Ayala scribe
New Acquisitions

Recent Acquisition on Commercial Bureaucracy in the Spanish Empire

June 29
text and diagrams related to early printing

The Illustrated Colonial Printer: An Exhibition to Accompany The Colonial Printer by Lawrence Wroth

Winter 2012
handwriting sample with scrawls in the shape of a bird

Mind Your Business: Records of Early American Commerce at the John Carter Brown Library

Fall 2012
A view of the Strait of Magellan from the Agnese Atlas

Gateway to a New World

July-October 2019
worn, yellow-tinted pages of a 19th century almanac
New Acquisitions

An almanac well-worn through regular use

July 27
photograph of dr. Christy clark-pujara at the John Carter brown library during a presentation

Watch "Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island"

May 1
photograph of elizabeth heath, assistant professor of history at Baruch College-CUNY

Elizabeth Heath Creates Digital Map to Explore Colonial France

May 1
Fresh Ink

Fresh Ink: Spanish Dollars and Sister Republics by Tatiana Seijas

May 1

See Also

Religious Cultures

History of Science