All our maps are produced in Italy using materials and techniques that date back to the 17th century. The engraved maps are printed using the xylographic process which is one of the oldest forms of graphic art. The copper plates are engraved with great skill and precision and printing is accomplished with a manual press, each map is therefore an original which differs from the others in small but important ways.
The paper used is made from pure cotton which has a fibre that ensures that the dimensions are not changed by the press and a softness that papers made of cellulose cannot attain. In order to recreate the atmosphere evoked by works of art of the past, each sheet of paper is aged using strictly organic substances. This ageing process also helps in differentiating one engraving from another since the finish is not and cannot be alike and uniform.
The printed panels are then mounted ‘at intervals’ on a support (also made from 100% cotton) as was the practice during the 17th and 18th centuries. Since the map could be folded, it was easier to handle and preserve and, of course, less voluminous. The support is aged in the same fashion as the paper.
The last – but no less important step – is the colouring of the work. This is done with watercolours by artists specialised in their use. The artists keep in mind the centuries that have gone by in order to give the right composition and tonality to the colours so that the beauty of the map can be finally revealed.
Lithographic prints also form part of our product range. Lithography was originally a method of surface printing from stone, although other materials are now used. As opposed to wood-cuts where the design appears 'in relief' or line engraving where it is cut into the surface - 'intaglio' - in lithography the design was simply drawn on a flat surface of a special limestone. The process is based on the antipathy of water and grease. The design was drawn on the clear stone with a greasy ink or crayon which was 'fixed' by chemical means. The stone was then moistened, the water being absorbed by the stone but repelled by the greasy ink of the design: finally, ink which adheres only to the drawing was rolled on and subsequently paper was applied under pressure and the print obtained.
By the use of separate stones for different colours, multi-coloured prints could be obtained. The process was not invented until about 1796 and therefore it has only been used for comparatively 'modern' maps. In fact, the method was not used to any great extent for quantity reproductions until about 1820 and not until 1860 was it mechanised.
Lithography never became very popular in England but in France it caught the imagination of the artists as in no other country. It appealed particularly to the French impressionists as well as the great Spanish artist, Goya. Manet and Degas especially used it as a means of original expression and later, among many others, Toulouse-Lautrec, who is often claimed as the greatest figure in the history of lithography. During the present century French influence still predominates and Picasso's use of the medium has been amongst the most outstanding.
Terms often found on Old Maps and Prints
Auctore - Author
Caelavit - Engraved by
Composuit - Designed by
Cum Privilegio - With permission of
Delineavit (del or delin) - Drawn by
Descripsit - Mapped by
Eng. - Engraver
Excudit (Ex.) - Engraved or printed by
Fecit (fec.) - Drawn and engraved by
Incidit (incid or inc.) - Engraver
Lith. - Lithographed (by)
Pinxit - Painted (by)
Sculpsit (sculp or sc.) - Engraved by
Oriens - The East, the rising sun
Occidens - The West, the setting sun
Merido - The South, the midday sun
Septentrio -The North, the seven stars of the Great Bear
We would like to acknowledge www.antiquemaps.co.uk as the source of the above information on Lithography and map-making terms and can thoroughly recommend them as an excellent source of information on antique maps and their collection and care.
