Miami International Map Fair to be held Feb. 3-4, 2018, and will feature Five Centuries of Maps Including the First Known Map of Miami
The Miami International Map Fair, the longest continuously running map fair in the world, will return to HistoryMiami Museum February 3-4, 2018. Now in its 25th year, the map fair draws over 35 leading map dealers from across the globe will gather to exhibit and retail an unparalleled selection of original antique maps, charts, town plans and atlases. Thousands of maps from the 16th century to present day, ranging in price from $25 to over $250,000 offering something for the first time buyer, as well as the seasoned collector.
One of the rarest maps on display will the earliest known image of the future Miami, Florida. The map illustrates the earliest known view of Fort Dallas, at the outlet of the Miami River into Biscayne Bay, and thus the first view of any portion of the future city of Miami. The drawing was made in 1849-1850 by an unnamed soldier of F Company of the 2nd U.S. Artillery Regiment. It provides a detailed view of the area’s natural topography and the structures which made up the outpost, with each identified by a legend. Among these is the earliest known surviving structure in Miami. The structure was moved in the 1920s to Lummus Park and is the oldest extant structure in the city. The map will be shown by Boston Rare Maps and Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc,.
Another unique map visitors can explore is the real estate guide map for George Merrick’s newly planned city of Coral Gables, Florida, including the newly planned University of Miami. George Edgar Merrick was a real estate developer who is best known as the planner and builder of the city of Coral Gables, Florida. Beginning in 1922, on 3,000 acres of citrus groves and land covered in pine trees which his father had left him, Merrick began carving out a town along the lines of the City Beautiful movement. The Miami International Map Fair will be the first place that it will be shown and will be offered by the Old Print Shop for $3,450.
“HistoryMiami is proud to host one of the largest and most prestigious events of its kind in the world, highlighting the history and wonder of cartography,” said Jorge Zamanillo, HistoryMiami Museum Executive Director. “Each year, the Map Fair showcases a staggering amount of rare and antique maps – from important historical documents to stunning works of art – that are brilliant examples of human history. Beyond their visual beauty, these maps give collectors and map enthusiasts a profound look into the past.”
Held annually during the first weekend in February, the Miami International Map Fair provides buyers with a weekend to browse antique maps, rare books, globes and atlases from around the world, including some from Australia, Germany and United Kingdom, in addition to attending a series of special topical lectures. This is a unique opportunity to meet experts with an unrivaled depth of knowledge and scope of material.
The 2018 Map Fair speakers include:
- Saturday, February 3, 11 a.m.
Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps– by Chet Van Duzer, published author, map historian, speaker and National Endowment for the Humanities-Mellon Fellow at the Library of Congress
- Saturday, February 3, 3 p.m.
Why I Collect Maps and What I Have Learned by Neal Asbury,entrepreneur, published author, speaker, host of a nationally syndicated talk radio show Neal Asbury’s Made In America, CEO of The Legacy Companies, political advocate of free enterprise and avid map collector.
- Sunday, February 4, 2 p.m.
From the Andes to the Amazon: A Librarian’s Life in Maps- by Neil Safier, Ph.D., Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director, Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library, associate professor in the Department of History at Brown University, published author, researcher and historian.
From the Andes to the Amazon: A Librarian’s Life in Maps- by Neil Safier, Ph.D., Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director, Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library, associate professor in the Department of History at Brown University, published author, researcher and historian.
Daily admission to the Map Fair is $20 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, free for children under 6, $15 for HistoryMiami and Lowe Art Museum members and $10 for high school and university students with valid school ID (at door only). Full Access Weekend registration is $75 per person for HistoryMiami members and $85 for non-members and includes a VIP a welcome reception with the map dealers at the Lowe Art Museum, free admission all weekend to the Dealer Marketplace, expert opinion on one map, lunch each day, all presentations and access to a Saturday night cocktail party. For the Full Access Weekend package, register here. For event information, please call 305-375-1618 or email mapfair@historymiami.org
Online Weekend Registration and one-day ticket sales are open until February 2, 2018. To purchase one-day tickets online, register here. One-day tickets will be available at the door. Fair hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 to 4 p.m. at HistoryMiami Museum 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Discounted parking (with museum validation) is available at the Cultural Center Parking Garage, 50 NW 2 Avenue.
Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are still available, please contact Katie Repici 305-375-1615 or email krepici@historymiami.org
About HistoryMiami Museum
HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and City Tours. Located in the heart of downtown Miami, HistoryMiami Museum is a 70,000 square foot facility and home to more than one million historical images and 30,000 three-dimensional artifacts, including a 1920’s trolley car, artifacts from Pan American World Airways, and rafts that brought refugees to Miami. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.
