Libraries and Institutions

The British Library (London) – http://www.bl.uk/ – the UK national collection of cartographic material.

The Royal Geographical Society (London) – http://www.rgs.org/HomePage.htm – one of the world’s largest geographical collections, containing over 2 million maps, photographs, books, artwork, artefacts and documents

The Library of Congress (Washington DC) – https://www.loc.gov/ – the largest library in the world. The Geography and Map Division provides access to cartographic material.

The National Maritime Museum (London) – http://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum – their collections of maritime history include charts and globes – take a look on-line.

The National Library of France – http://www.bnf.fr/en/tools/a.welcome_to_the_bnf.html – the entry point (in English) to the BNF.

The National Library of Australia – https://www.nla.gov.au/ – their Home page.

The National Library of New Zealand – https://natlib.govt.nz/ – is the Home page, and presently there is also a specific section for maps – https://natlib.govt.nz/visiting/wellington/unfolding-the-map .

The Newberry Library in Chicago has a large collection of items on Maps, Travel and Exploration – https://www.newberry.org/maps-travel-and-exploration.

Roger Baskes has assembled a huge collection of atlases – http://www.baskes.com/homepage.htm – also housed at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

David Rumsey’s huge collection, housed in Stanford University Library – https://www.davidrumsey.com/.

Cartography Events and Exhibitions

A Calendar of Events www.docktor.com/meeting.htm
Cartography Exhibitions www.docktor.com/exhibit.htm

Map Societies worldwide

Many IMCoS members also belong to their local map society, particular as many people’s first map collecting interest is maps of their home area, before they are tempted to learn more about other regions and countries. This gives them the opportunity to learn more before venturing further afield with cartographic intentions.

For example The Washington Map Society is based in Washington DC, holds monthly meetings, organises field trips and produces a journal The Portolan three times a year. Visit their homepage www.washmap.org

The California Map Society also has its own web site www.californiamapsociety.org

The Brussels International Map Collectors’ Circle (BIMCC) is an active society with regular meetings in Belgium as well as visits to collections in surrounding countries. Visit their site at www.bimcc.org

The Philippines Map Collectors’ Society – https://www.phimcos.org/ – a fairly new society.

International Society for the History of the Map is an academic organisation – https://www.mappingasprocess.net/about-ishmap/

The Map Societies around the world page leads to a more extensive geographic list of societies worldwide, but does not seem to be updated very frequently. http://www.jhensinger.org/Map_Societies/indexgeo.html

Lectures in the UK

Warburg Lectures – http://www.maphistory.info/warburgprog.html

Cambridge Seminars in the History of the Map – http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/maps/cartographic-events/camsem

The Oxford Seminars in Cartography – http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whats-on

Lectures/Conferences elsewhere

International Conferences on the History of Cartography (ICHC)

ICHC 2019 Conference

Other useful sites

The History of Cartography homepage is a gateway to all you might want to know about map history. Other pages in the site are specifically designed for map collectors and can be entered directly: http://www.maphistory.info/index.html

Members’ sites

Kit Batten and Francis Bennett have put their Printed Maps of Devon; 1575-1837 on the web; this can be viewed at http://www.printed-maps-of-devon.eu/, and also their Victorian Maps of Devon; 1575-1837 on the web at http://www.victorian-maps-of-devon.eu/index.php.

Peter Walker has put his collection of very many Essex maps from 1576 onwards, plus other map information, on the web; this can be viewed at www.oldessexmaps.co.uk .

Long-time member Tony Burgess created an extensive cartobibliography of county maps of Kent, and following his death in 2021 IMCoS members can see this site, known as Old Kent Maps.

If any other members would like their website adding here, or suggest other lnks that should be added, please email financialsecretariat@imcos.org

Disclaimer:

While IMCoS attempts to keep the above links up to date, IMCoS takes no responsibility for the content of those links.