9 Wonderful Free Antique World Maps To Download

Printable Free Antique World Maps For You To Download

There is nothing like looking at antique world maps to spark the imagination of those with wanderlust. It amazes me how the shape of an antique world map from the 1600s is not vastly different from the modern world map. Just shows what an amazing job the cartographers from the past did with minimal technology.

Not only were these antique world maps very similar to the ones of today, but they were also beautifully illustrated. Many of these cartographers were fabulous artists too.

As some of these antique world maps are beautifully illustrated, I think they would look fabulous as wall art. Lauren of Bless’er House has a great tutorial on how to display oversized vintage maps.

The PDF downloaded maps will be of a higher resolution than the images below.

To download the maps just click on the Map title link and a PDF of the map will automatically download to your device.

1. 1. Antique World Map From 1635 – Williem Bleau

      This ancient world map was painted in 1635 by William Bleau. Blaeu’s is very highly thought of by map historians and some of his maps were featured in the works of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer of Delft.

      There is a lot more going on than just countries and continents in this very old world map painting. I love all the fabulous illustrations around the edge of this map, including some of the ancient wonders of the world such as the pyramids and the Colossus of Rhodes. All the elements of fire, water, air and earth are also represented.

1. 1. Antique World Map from 1689 – Gerard van Schagen

      Another gorgeous illustrated antique world map from a Dutch cartographer.

1. 1. Star Projection World Map – 1880

      This is a very simple old world map but projected in a very unusual star shape. I’ve not seen a world map presented like this before and love this perspective by the German cartographer Hermann Berghaus.

1. 1. Daily Mail Worl Map of War & Commerce

      This map printed by the Daily Mail in 1917 is so much more than just an old world map. It shows the economical and political standing of the British and other major Empires at the breakout of World War I. This is also a very large map perfect for a huge wall display.

1. 1. Antique World Map – 1570 (From the First Modern Atlas)

      This ancient world map is by the Dutch cartographer Abraham Ortelius and was published in the first modern atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World).

1. 1. Rand McNally & Co.’s new twelve-inch terrestrial globe 1887

      Cut out this fabulously detailed antique world map and make your own antique globe. This would be a fun craft to do with the kids.

1. 1. Rand McNally & Co Map of The World 1887

      Another fabulous vintage world map from the famous Chigaco publisher’s Rand McNally and Co.

      

   2. Cantino Planisphere 1502

      The Cantino planisphere is one of the most precious cartographic documents of all time. It depicts the world, as it became known to the Europeans after the great exploration voyages at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century to the Americas, Africa and India. It was completed by a Portuguese cartographer in 1502.

1. Antique World Map from the Portolan Atlas by Battista Agnese (1544)

    

   This is a gorgeous world map with beautifully illustrated cherubs on clouds illustrating the major winds around the world. Battista Agnese (c. 1500 – 1564) was a cartographer from the Republic of Genoa, who worked in the Venetian Republic.

I hope you have enjoyed these antique World Maps.  There are some world map illustrations with this vintage board game collection.

If you liked these maps then you may want to check out the pictorial world maps of Chase, these free vintage Maps of Europe.  Or these maps of Antarctica.