Give the Gift of History With an Antique Map or Print
Choosing the right gift is difficult. For a real change, consider antique maps or prints. Antique maps and antique prints are original and unique gifts, with enough choices to suit every recipient.
Wilton, CT (PRWEB) November 28, 2005 -- These days it seems so much more difficult to choose gifts. The market is saturated with thousands of gizmos and gimmicks that friends and family already seem to own. If you are lost in the modern scramble for something new, something unique, something quirky, then antique maps and prints can be the perfect choice of gifts because, by virtue of being so old, they are completely new.
Giving the whole world
Choosing the right antique map or print is not very difficult at all and need not be as prohibitively expensive as it sounds. Antique maps start from as little as $75 and may be found and purchased from dedicated online stores, such as VintageMaps.com, on the web at http://www.vintagemaps.com
As with all gift buying, knowing how to choose the right antique map starts with knowing something about a person's likes, hobbies and interests. If, for example, your friend or family member is an avid traveler with sights set on conquering the world then an antique map of the world is the perfect gift choice for this friend.
There are beautiful examples of antique world maps that date back to the 1600s through to the 1800s. While world maps are the most expensive category of antique maps, those from the early 18th century tend to be more affordable. A good example is Nicolas De Fer's copper-engraved world map drawn in two separate hemispheres. The world as Der Fer knew it included California an island and Australia as a half-finished shape called 'Nouvelle Hollande'. Cartographers like De Fer often included other images on the map, such as drawings of the flora and fauna or portraits of famous explorers. This particular map is bordered by portraits of explorers such as Columbus, Vespucci and Magellan.
A particularly affordable world map would be one from the mid-19th century, such as those by Augustus Mitchell, taken from his New General Atlas. Mitchell’s 1866 world map, for example, is a stunning color map, with a traditional layout. You'll see that Alaska is still 'Russian Territory' and Hawaii is the 'Sandwich Islands.' Antique world maps are also the perfect gifts for teenagers and young adults who are at the beginning of their lifelong path of learning about themselves and the world around them.
A gift from the past
The globe is full of places that are connected to our past. We were all born somewhere, grew up somewhere, went to school and perhaps college somewhere, maybe fell in love somewhere, and got married somewhere. An antique map links our present to a past home, experience, or great love. An ideal anniversary gift may be a map of the city where you met the partner of your life. A wonderful birthday gift for your relative or friend is an antique map of the city of their birth. VintageMaps.com has a wide selection of maps of the cities of San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, and more. VintageMaps.com also has an exquisite selection of maps of most of the states of America.
Dealers in antique maps often stock antique prints as well. These prints are as unlimited as human experience itself, and often include such items as antique prints of birds and animals; views of cities; renderings of historical events; architectural prints; fashion prints; western exploration scenes; newspaper and magazine images, and much more. All these prints provide choices for unique and unexpected gifts: memories from the past.
# # #
|
