Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
4- Map collecting spaces
Antiquarian dealers display their wares in tastefully arranged galleries or
shops: only a limited stock is displayed, an expert is available to assist
intending purchasers. Shops are to be found in the right parts of major
western cities; the most important centres are still London and New York.
Auction rooms are sometimes a place of competition for collectors or
dealers. Only larger sale rooms hold regular specialist map sales, these are
associated with the international fine arts market. Items are catalogued,
described and displayed in a sale space, where they may be viewed. They
are usually presented as each lot comes up for sale. The space is carefully
regulated: collectors are usually only allowed in the sale room in a view-
ing, or in the sale itself, and rules of bidding must be carefully followed
(French 1992).
The Map Fair is similar to a book fair, with dealers grouped together in a
space where they buy and sell antiquarian stock, and where customers
view and buy. Commerce is much more explicit here.
The map library or rare topics room is also an important haunt for map col-
lectors. Dealers research items; librarians acquire and process material;
collectors examine rare items or compile carto-bibliographies; map socie-
ties visit or hold meetings in these spaces. Libraries only rarely display
their maps, most of the time they are safely stored away from people.
Many library spaces are reserved for library or conservational staff. Users
are not usually allowed to access material themselves.
The collectors' meeting is a much more variable space, functioning to
meet the needs of specific societies and members. There is usually suffi-
cient space to meet and discuss specialities and display or swap maps.
Individual collectors store or display maps in their own private spaces.
The more substantial the collection the more like a map library the space
becomes. Smaller collections may be displayed framed on walls in the
home, larger collections will require appropriate storage, cataloguing, and
conservation work.
The Internet has allowed online equivalents of many of these spaces to be
established. Discussion lists allow sharing of information, and have come
to supplant many of the functions formerly offered by collectors' meetings.
Auction sites like e-Bay offer an on-line forum for bidding for maps or
