Old World Map from 1651 by John Speed – Rare Colour Vintage Wall Art
This is an exceedingly rare, full colour map of the world from 1651 by one of the founding fathers of cartography, John Speed. Amongst collectors, the original version of this map is one of the rarest and most valuable old world maps.
Back in 1651, our understanding of the world wasn’t quite what it is today. California is an island! And there’s no Antarctica or Australia – just the ‘Southern Unknown Land’. Take a closer look at North America and there are some very early settlements on there – including some that have been completely fabricated by the mapmaker! And why does North America swing off wildly to the west in the top corner?
This map looks great at all sizes: 12×16 inches (31x41cm), 18×24 inches (45.5x61cm) and 24×36 inches (61×91.5cm), but it looks even better when printed large.
I can create beautiful, large prints of this map up to 52×70 inches (130x180cm). Please get in touch if you’re looking for larger, customised or different framing options.
The model in the listing images is holding the 24×18 inch (60x45cm) version of this map.
The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.
I also have this same map, but in its original monochrome form. Depending on your room’s aesthetic/decor, you might prefer this version.
I can personalise this map for you and add a short message to the map itself, to make the map truly unique. The fifth listing image has an example of what map personalisation looks like.
This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father’s Day, work leaving or housewarming gift for someone who loves to travel or explore.
This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you’d like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.
