Miami International Map Festival will return in 2020 for its 27th edition – with this year’s collections dating back to 1562.
From March 13-15, the exhibition at HistoryMiami will host some of the rarest collectible maps on offer in the US. Bidders will be desperate to reverse tradition on Friday 13 at the VIP opening sale, followed by an opening reception. [Main Image: Lena Ball, Unsplash].
Those wanting to own a map for themselves will be invited to the auctions of some of the prized sheets from over 30 world-renowned map dealers. You’ll need to line your wallet for the heavyweight collections, though – some of this year’s maps are expected to haul in around $250,000. But, far more affordable maps will also be available to purchase from $25.
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However, it’s not just open for those who want to splash the cash. Anyone with a passion for how our land was first discovered will delight at the collections of trails that include antique maps, globes, atlases, and rare books. And, the only surviving copy of the Gutierrez Map of the New World in Private Hands will be displayed. The map depicts the trail from Florida and Texas, all the way to the south side of the Amazon river. It comes from the mind of Spain’s Diego Gutierrez and was published by Hieronymus Cook in 1562.
Guest Speakers
If that wasn’t enough, the festival has booked a three-pronged attack of expert lecturers to speak at the event. Among the names are:
- Ronald E. Grim, PhD. Delivering a talk on Mapping of the Nation in the 19th Century;
- PJ Mode on Deconstructing Persuasive Cartography;
- Todd T. Turrell on Historical and Modern Mapmaking in the Bahamas.
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Maps from all over the world will also be displayed at the Miami festival, with collectibles from the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and more. So, any geographic history fanatic will have a wide range to obsess over across the weekend.
With something for every antique buff, there is no better opportunity to feast your eyes on the oldest maps this country has to offer.
Admission starts at just $5 for HistoryMiami members and is completely free for children under six-years-old. A full list of prices and tickets can be found here.
Order of events for 13-15 March, as per the HistoryMiami website:
Friday, March 13 (Full Access Weekend registrants/Dealers only)
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm VIP Private Preview Sale and Cocktail Reception
Saturday, March 14
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Map Fair open to the public
- Map Fair: Dealer Marketplace
- Free expert opinion (Limited to one map per visitor)
- 11:00 am – Speaker Presentation-Todd T. Turrell
- 3:00 pm – Speaker Presentation-PJ Mode
- 5:00 pm – Map Fair closes
- 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm – Collectors Circle Cocktail Reception (Full Access Weekend registrants/Dealers only)
Sunday, March 15
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Map Fair open to the public
- Map Fair: Dealer Marketplace
- Free expert opinion (Limited to one map per visitor)
- 2:00 pm – Speaker Presentation-Ronald E. Grim, Ph.D.
- 5:00 pm – Map Fair close