Rare Maps 
Rare Atlases 
Rare Books 
Rare Prints 
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Find Us
New York
PO Box 329, Larchmont, NY, USA
Opening hours, London Gallery
Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: by appointment
Closed: all bank holidays and 1-31 August
Opening hours, New York
By appointment only
Opening hours
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.
The latest News
Most Expensive AbeBooks Sales 2024
23 April 2024
Mercator’s 1595 map of the world, in fine original colour, was one of the top ten sales from the recent AbeBooks.co.uk quarter.
Daniel Crouch comments that this map is “The first edition of the first map in the first atlas to be called such”.
Read more about the map here.
How To
Collecting Rare Maps and Books
Are you new to collecting rare maps, atlases or books? Would you like guidance on how to handle the books and maps in your collection?
From the glossary
Flyleaf
A blank leaf (or leaves) inserted during the binding process between the free end paper and the beginning or end of the printed pages.
Mapmaker biographies
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.
Sign up to hear about our latest acquisitions, exhibitions and events
Find Us
New York
PO Box 329, Larchmont, NY, USA
Opening hours, London Gallery
Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: by appointment
Closed: all bank holidays and 1-31 August
Opening hours, New York
By appointment only