WELCOME
Welcome to "Maps for Sale" a personal selection of interesting maps by Kit Batten
Maps for Sale is a site which I have set up in order to dispose of my rather large collection of maps built up over more than 25 years.
Special Offer to Maps For Sale visitors
Puzzle maps
I have six map puzzles on offer at prices lower than the price as offered on Ebay.
Map Puzzle 1
Map of Scotland ... in 45 irregularly shaped pieces measuring 230 mm x 280 mm (complete but one piece is a modern replacement). Victorian style printing on paper and laid on to thin single-thickness (i.e. not plywood) board before cutting into pieces which are mostly the approximate shape of county depicted. Board reverse was covered with plain green paper before cutting. Map reminiscent of Philips Handy Atlas maps. Wooden box with Royal arms illustration has imprint “WILLIAM PEACOCK, LONDON.” in frame. Box split across bottom with no real loss. Includes fold-out copy of completed map at measuring 230 mm x 280 mm with imprint “GALL & INGLIS, 6 GEORGE STREET, EDINBURGH” below centre.
Currently on offer on Ebay at €160 - Special Offer €120
Map Puzzle 2
WARDS puzzle Map of United States – Handcut – Number 48-650 – Montgomery Ward.
This puzzle was handcut using 3-ply wood. The puzzle is double-sided and has a map of the USA without Alaska on one side and a map of US held territories on the other: Rand McNally Puzzle Map of the United States; and Rand McNally Puzzle Map of the United States and Possessions showing territorial growth and geographical distribution (shows historical growth within US). The pieces are amazingly intricate and not always interlocking. The central pieces which show US states are cut into state outline. Map measures 38 x 45 cm.
The box is the original from the 1930s (estimated) but has been recovered. At some point the box suffered from water / damp and the outer fabric was badly affected. I recovered the box in a material similar to original (a small piece is included for comparison) and the original label reused. The base has the original stamp.
As mentioned, at some point the puzzle was exposed to water and some pieces of the ply-wood disintegrated. Three pieces are pesent in this state and included separately. In addition several pieces are missing – see photos – and part of the “possessions” puzzle are scuffed.
I would be happy to see this puzzle return to a sympathetic restorer in the US. It is still an interesting piece of map / puzzle ephemera and worth keeping / restoring and will soon be a hundred years old. One example is at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, US.
Price includes worldwide shipping and insurance. Please take this in mind when considering the price. Price before insertion on Ebay €50.
Map Puzzle 3
1930s humorous map of London as wooden jigsaw puzzle complete in box
Dissected map with title The New Pictorial Map of London, circa 475 mm x 730 mm. Including the large frame pieces amounts to nearly 650 pieces. Two inset maps of locations of theatres and cinemas. Three parts are missing (send for details and further photos) and a couple of pieces have a small bit broken off. Two pieces strengthened/repaired by me. Imprint on box: Prepared by "GEOGRAPHIA" LTD who were one of the premier map publishers at that time. Poster has imprint: This map was printed and published by "GEOGRAPHIA" LIMITED 55 Fleet Street in the City of London.
Box quotes: This puzzle contains a sealed key to the problem. This is actually a 1:1 scale copy of the puzzle as poster. This has been folded to fit into box but could easily be ironed and laid down as a poster. The same poster map was published separately in covers as a folding map and a British dealer has this for sale at 700 pounds. The puzzle was also sold without the heavy border and the same dealer has this (complete) for 400 pounds.
Pieces are very irregular in shape showing its early origins and cut on 3-ply plywood board. Backs are plain (I added paper on two to strengthen/mend - could easily be removed).
Currently on Ebay at €750. Special Offer at €500. For more images click here.
Map Puzzle 4
Dissected map - Clemens’ map of Ohio, 400 mm x 310 mm. State cut into its county areas. Including the large frame pieces amounts to nearly 100 pieces. One county missing and one piece has a small bit broken off. Imprints: Prepared by G B & C W Colton & Co., New York; and Entered According to the Act of Congress in the Year of 1882 by G B & C W Colton & Co. in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, in Washington. Reverse is an advertisement for the “White” Sewing machine. Scene of a sitting room with a White`’ sewing machine prominent.
Fits into a purpose-built box (not the original box) allowing one to turn the puzzle over. This was part of Clemens’ `The Silent Teacher´ series in 1882 if dated correctly otherwise c. 1890 (Rumsey dates his to 1893). The same map in the David Rumsey collection has different reverse. According to a puzzle collector on their internet site:
From what I've read and what I have discerned from my small collection of the Silent Teacher series of map puzzles, it appears that the line was started in the late 1860s or early 1870s by G.N.Tackabury of Canastota, N.Y. The earliest date that I can find is a copyright notice of 1872 by James Monteith. This copyright may refer only to the cross-sectional view that shows the comparative elevations across the center of the country.
The earliest puzzles have plain black paper on the backside and the maps used were published by Tackabury. The U.S. maps only show rivers, mountain ranges and cities. There are exercises for the student and a vertical bar indicating the latitude of various cities of the world.
The next in the series have D&MC Wiggins New Haven, N.Y. printed on the lower right corner. Sometimes, their name is covered by the green edge paper. I don't know if D&MC Wiggins were the puzzle makers or simply print publishers. These maps have no other indication of manufacturer and have only a scroll on the title.
I have seen E.J. Clemens and Rev. E.J. Clemens on puzzles. Anne Williams mentions that E.J. Clemens was one of the copyright holders for The Silent Teacher and at some point in the 1880s changed the title from The Silent Teacher to Clemens' Silent Teacher. A careful inspection will often show Colton as the publisher of Clemens' maps. On the reverse sides, generally there is an ad for either White Sewing Machines & Bicycles or Sherwin Williams Paint.
Currently on offer at €190. Special offer at €150.
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Finally - maps 5 and 6 as one lot
Map Puzzle offer 5
Home-made map puzzle of England and Wales. Very unusual puzzle, obviously hand made and home made. All the counties (except Rutland) are cut to their shape and hand coloured. Whole fits into a home made box with label and attractive sliding top. Dating is difficult but would seem to be over fifty years old.
Together with
Victory Geographical Puzzle – Map of the British Isles. Very nice puzzle of the British Isles, complete and with original box. Size of puzzle when finished is approx A4.
Devon Material
The main core of my collection is made up of maps of Devon (i.e. both county and town maps). This comprises both early maps printed before 1837 and most of which can be found catalogued and described on my web site Printed Maps of Devon; and also maps printed during Victoria's reign which, appropriately, are described on my website Victorian Maps of Devon . Both of these web sites are based on the work carried out with the collaboration of Francis Bennett to whom I am eternally grateful.
Other maps of Devon are maps which are also pre-1901 but were not included in these two works. Most of these were outside of the scope of these two books (e.g. not county maps). A number of maps are those of the city of Exeter, described in The Printed Maps of Exeter (now available online). Other maps are folding or tourist maps (in or extracted from guides) and described in The Tourist Maps of Devon (privately printed, only a few copies still available).
For information concerning printed maps of the county of Devon on one or two sheets before 1837 use this link:
www.printed-maps-of-devon.eu
For information concerning printed maps of the county of Devon on 1 or 2 sheets during Victoria's reign use this link:
www.victorian-maps-of-devon.eu
Non-Devon Material
Over the years I collected maps of other areas and I am also in the process of selling these. You will find a large number of maps:
Devon - this is split into pre-Victoria and Victorian material
Great Britain / British Isles - various regional maps
Miscellaneous - maps collected from different sources including several maps of Germany
I do hope you have a look. Serendipity is a splendid thing!
Special Offer!! Many maps are priced at €20. Take six maps - pay for 5.
