Old World Map in Globe Segments
Price range: £29.95 through £59.95
World map in globe gores by Martin Waldseemüller — 1507 design
Twelve pointed segments turn this early world map into an unusual and arresting composition. Designed to be cut out and fitted around a globe, the gores include the name America among their closely packed coastlines and geographical labels. This fine art print presents the historic design as a flat sheet, preserving its bold black lines and distinctive shape. An appealing choice for anyone interested in early exploration, the history of globes or the beginnings of printed world maps. Supplied unframed.
A stunning certified FINE ART PRINT on heavy textured art paper — not a poster
- Direct from the publisher — no middlemen
- Printed in-house in Cornwall
- Free UK delivery — international shipping available
- Produced to meet — and often exceed — museum-quality standards
Size
Fine Art Map Reproductions – Museum-Quality Printing
Unlike most online offerings, our maps are produced entirely in-house, not outsourced to print-on-demand or drop-shipping services. This allows complete control over quality while offering better value. Each map begins with a high-resolution original, carefully enhanced and printed to order using archival papers and pigment inks for exceptional clarity, depth, and longevity. Every piece is personally overseen — no map leaves our workshop unless it is of a quality we would be proud to display ourselves.
Authentic Old Map Paper & Accurate Colour Reproduction
Paper choice is essential to the authenticity of our maps. We use specially sourced 190gsm paper made in the UK from pure materials and traditionally pressed with natural woollen felts. This process creates a subtle, randomly textured surface that closely resembles an original antique document. Likewise the use of premium quality ink fully saturates the paper, producing remarkable clarity, depth, and historical character. Colour fastness and sharpness will remain good for in excess of 100 years!
Buy Old Maps Online in the UK Today Trading online since 1999
The Old Map Company of Great Britain offers a vast and carefully curated collection of the very finest expertly reproduced vintage maps. Our range includes works by renowned cartographers such as John Speed and Willem Blaeu, covering Scotland, England, and beyond. Free UK courier delivery is included, with EU, USA, and worldwide shipping available at cost and calculated at checkout. If you need assistance, our team is always happy to help you choose the perfect map.
RECENT REVIEWS
Verified ownerGot there in time and loves it! Cheers David [Gift from US to UK]
Verified ownerThanks Lauren. We received it today - it's gorgeous! Thank you, Ellan
Verified ownerThank you for your prompt service. I have a gallery and framing business in South Wales. I'm so pleased it is printed in the UK
Verified ownerMy Isles of Scilly map arrived safely and I'm delighted with it!
The print arrived safely and we're delighted with it - a lovely reminder of our honeymoon 15 years ago.
Verified ownerI have just received them! I'm sure our clients will be pleased with them and there could be more projects off the back of this one where we can use more. [Interior Designers]
Verified ownerI just received my map of Ireland by Ewart today and, as usual, I am delighted by its quality. The crispness and fineness of detail is excellent and the colour reproduction surpasses my expectations. Please relay my thanks to Steve for another fine effort!
Verified ownerMany thanks, Lauren. Very pleased with the map and the service: would recommend The Old Map Company to anyone interested in Old Maps.
Verified ownerMany thanks, the map arrived safely this morning, and I’m really pleased with it. A stunning reproduction, just as I had hoped. I will keep browsing your website, and may yet be tempted by more of your items! Have a great weekend.
Verified ownerJust arrived, wonderful map! Thanks very much!
Verified ownerThe map – beautiful – arrived safely, very many thanks.
Verified ownerThank you, I have already found the map. It’s wonderfull! Good luck! Rasa
Verified ownerMy apologies for the very late reply. I wanted to reach out to thank you so much for rushing my order. My partner absolutely loved it. I am amazed with the service so that is a five-star from me. I wish you all the best.
Historical Background
Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 globe gores represent an early printed way of turning a flat world map into a sphere. Each of the twelve pointed segments was designed to fit alongside the others around a small globe. This print reproduces the historical design as a complete flat composition; it is not a ready-made globe.
Map Details
- Subject: World map arranged in twelve globe gores
- Cartographer: Martin Waldseemüller
- Original design: 1507, Saint-Dié
- Format represented: Printed segments intended to cover a small terrestrial globe
- Features: The name America, labelled continents, latitude lines and numbered longitudes
A gore narrows towards the poles and widens around the equator. Placing twelve together allows a printed map to follow a curved surface with less distortion than a rectangular sheet would permit. Displayed flat, their repeated outlines create the distinctive rhythm visible here, with the geographical information crossing from one segment to the next.
The name America is a particularly significant feature. Waldseemüller’s work helped introduce it into printed cartography, associating the newly described lands with Amerigo Vespucci. That European act of naming should not be confused with the beginning of those lands’ history: they were already home to established peoples and cultures.
Look closely at the arrangement of the geographical labels. Africa and Asia occupy the central portion of the composition, while the American landmass appears towards the right. The equator and tropics provide horizontal reference lines, and the longitude numbers run beneath the gores. Fine horizontal marks give texture to the surrounding seas.
The design records a stage of geographical knowledge, not a complete modern account of the world. Its coastlines, proportions and omissions are useful reminders of how information circulated and changed in the early sixteenth century. The bold boundaries of the segments remain as prominent as the geography they carry.
These globe gores are distinct from Waldseemüller’s famous large wall map of the same year. Both are important to the history of the name America, but they served different purposes and used different formats. As a fine art print, the gores offer an unusually graphic way to display that early cartographic story.
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