The United States in old maps and prints
When Columbus set off for the vast, uncharted New World in 1492, it was like sailing into infinity. But slowly explorers and mapmakers built up a picture of the place they called America. As the new land grew and prospered, and as settlements and trade moved westward, so the geographical knowledge expanded.
Early examples of the mapmakers' art, culled from medieval libraries and museum basements by Belgian historian Eduard Van Ermen, show the uncharted void turning into territories, states, cities.
In 78 color illustrations covering three centuries (1570-1870), The United States in Old Maps and Prints unfolds our country's history.