Discover

In this section we gather together information for the collector of rare maps, antique atlases and antiquarian books. We offer advice on building and housing your maps and books, provide biographies of mapmakers, and a glossary of bookselling terms, and we draw together some common themes that span our collections, and tell stories of the histories of exploration and cartography.

Frieze Masters Virtual Tour – The Mapping of the World

A journey through 500 years of cartography, art, and science.

 

Explore our virtual stand here.

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Collection of maps takes us to a world of fantasy

25 October 2024

All the best books begin with a map.

Daniel Crouch brainstormed this idea with daughter over a pint in a pub. Shortly afterwards, the collection of fictional cartography – I wisely started with a map! – began with gusto.

One of the finest collections of maps of non-existent places, the entire exhibition is to be sold en bloc. As The Times reports:

“We think we’ve done something quite important and fun”.

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APIANUS, Petrus

Born in Saxony as Peter Bienewitz, he studied at the University of Leipzig from 1516 to 1519, where he adopted the Latinised version of his German name, Petrus Apianus. In 1519, he moved to Vienna, where he was part of the second Vienna school of cartography, which included Georgius Tannstetter and Johannes Cuspinianus. He then moved again to Landshut, where he produced the Cosmographicus liber in 1524, an extremely popular work on astronomy and navigation which underwent thirty reprints. Based on Ptolemy, it contains paper instruments called volvelles, which Apianus would use so effectively in his work that they are sometimes known as Apian wheels.

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