With just a few more days to go before the London Map Fair opens her doors for all those maps buffs and like minded. The map fair may be considered as one of the highlights of the year for collectors and aficionados of historical maps and prints.

With map dealers from all over the world, a fine selection of both rare as well as more common but ecstatically attractive early maps will be presented, ranging from maps of the world to city plans and views.

London based dealer Altea Gallery has an uncommon and very rare map of Bohemia depicted as a stylised rose. This truly beautiful composition has Prague located at the centre of the rose and Vienna, the main seat of the Hapsburg Dynasty, shown at the root.

Considering the location of the map fair, Garwood & Voigt will have on show a very large pre-fire panorama of London as seen from Bankside after Wenceslaus Hollar, measuring 46 x 231 cm. The lithograph, dated 1832, was printed on four sheets and has a magnificent look to it, if only because of the size.

Tabula Nova Hibernie Anglie et Scotie
Martin Waldseemuller, 1513,Strassburg

UK base dealer Clive A. Burden will present the first truly modern map of the British Isles published by Martin Waldseemuller in 1513. Waldseemuller was the author of the wall map of 1507 which named America for the first time and was sold to the Library of Congress for US$10 million in 2001. Clive Burden’s map is more friendly priced.

Are the maps above just outside of your financial league ? No worries, as the fair has many more affordable finds starting at just £10. If only just to orientate yourself, the fair is worth a visit. Besides the dealers themselves, representatives of IMCoS will be more than happy to assist you in your journey of discovery .

London Map Fair 2010
Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
London SW7 (Entrance Exhibition Road)

Sat June 5 12.00-19.00
Sun June 6 10.00-17.00