Old Map of Canada and British America
Price range: £35.55 through £59.95
Old Map of Canada and British America by John Tallis, 1851
Hudson Bay lies at the centre of this decorative map of British America, surrounded by the rivers, lakes and territories of northern North America. A panorama of Montreal, Arctic ships, polar bears and a whaling scene fill the spaces around the geography. Drawn and engraved by John Rapkin for Tallis’s illustrated atlas, the map combines coloured boundaries with a richly patterned border. Reproduced on textured fine art paper and supplied unframed, it rewards a closer look at Canada before Confederation.
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
Tallis’s British America brings together settled districts, fur-trade country and the Arctic within a single atlas sheet. The map extends far beyond the Canada of its own day, taking in the western territories and northern islands, with parts of Greenland and Russian America at the edges. The illustrations make the contrast between southern cities and the far north especially clear.
Map Details
- Original title: British America
- Publisher: J. & F. Tallis, 1851
- Map drawing and engraving: John Rapkin
- Illustrations: H. Warren; engraved by R. Wallis
- Coverage: British North America and neighbouring Arctic regions
Begin with Hudson Bay and follow the rivers inland. Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca appear among the extensive waterways, while the St Lawrence and Great Lakes occupy the more closely labelled south-east. The arrangement shows why a map of Canada in this period cannot be read simply as a picture of today’s provinces: the territorial names and divisions belong to an earlier political geography.
The marginal pictures are part of the map’s story. Ships identified as Fury and Hecla appear in the Arctic, alongside polar bears and a scene of Inuit life carrying the period’s historical caption. Montreal forms a broad panorama along the lower edge. These are nineteenth-century British representations of the region and its peoples, rather than an account of how Indigenous communities understood their own lands.
The fine lettering and elaborate border suit close viewing, while the coloured boundaries hold the composition together at a distance. The reproduction preserves both the geographic detail and the illustrated character of Tallis’s atlas.