Vintage Florida Maps
Mike Williams has been creating vivid, detailed antique Florida maps for his clients for several years, but do you know the history behind these classic works of art, where you can find them on display, and the type of people that collect them?
The History of Cartography
Vintage maps have been around for centuries and have been discovered as early as 16,500 B.C. Maps were initially preserved on Babylonian clap tablets around 2300 B.C.; however, the first world maps appeared in the early 16th century from a leading cartographer from Belgium named Gerardus Mercator.
How The Earliest Maps Were Created
The oldest maps discovered were of the stars in the sky. Drawings found on cave walls in the Lascaux caves of Montignac, France, displayed the Vega, Deneb, Pleiades, and Altair stars. The cave paintings helped people recognize hills or other land dwellings. The oldest surviving map found in Pavlov, Czech Republic, was of mountains, rivers, and valleys carved on a mammoth tusk and dates back to 25,000 B.C.
Vintage Atlas Collectors
Map collectors typically collect maps in two forms: a sheet or poster or bound in a book. The advantage of collecting antique atlases bound in a book is that they are protected by the covers that hold them. Back when people first started collecting these beautiful works of art, it was considered a luxury and only the upper classes could afford them, and they proudly displayed them in their homes to prove their wealth and knowledge.
Today, people looking to begin a vintage map collection start by picking a piece that fills a particular wall in their home or office and appeals to their interests.
Who Collects Mike Williams' Vintage Florida Maps?
Mike Williams’ works of art appeal to people that love the Florida landscape. His colorful and detailed vintage map art portrays Florida’s unique beauty and the lifestyle enjoyed by Floridians: boating, fishing, and surfing. His art tells a story and provides his patrons with a unique view of old-time Florida when people lived a more simple lifestyle.
Where Can You View Vintage Maps?
Antique maps are often on display in businesses, museums, and in private homes. Businesses like to collect these unique pieces of art in conference rooms, lobbies, and hallways. They often collect vintage maps of their city or state or places they have visited.
Museums that have entire rooms dedicated to maps of the world as it was depicted over the centuries. Often sketches are included alongside other artifacts from the era and provide the viewer with a sense of what the country or city was like during that time.
Private collectors proudly show their vintage charts throughout their homes. People like to hang them on the walls of formal rooms such as living rooms, home offices, dining rooms, and even kitchens. Including vintage maps in your home decor is the perfect conversation starter. Guests in your home will want to find out what medium was used to create the art, who the artist is, and hear whether you have visited the places on the map.