Established in 1984, The Unique Map Co. is a purveyor of the finest and rarest old maps.
The unique process begins with me travelling around the world and sourcing unusual and beautiful old maps – some as old as 450 years old.
Many of the oldest maps are exceedingly rare. Handcoloured maps were expensive and only affordable to nobles. Sometimes only a few dozen copies of a map were created, and only one or two may have survived until today.
The world's best maps are held in private collections and in national libraries. That's where I begin my search.
Next, I pore through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of maps to find the meagre handful that are good enough to add to my collection here at The Unique Maps Co.
And finally, the most arduous stage: restoring the detail and beauty of each map. This can take hours, or it might take days for larger or more damaged maps.
Over the years, The Unique Maps Co. has become world renowned for its customised and personalised maps.
I start with one of my beautiful, old, perfectly restored maps – but then I go one step further and personalise each map so that every customer gets a truly unique map.
There is almost no limit to what you can achieve with a handcrafted map. I have made treasure maps, retirement maps, bucket list maps, maps with secret messages... take a look at some of the pages below to find out more.
Unique maps, in the style and era of your choosing, focused on your home, street or postcode
Add an illustration, message, heart, icon, or something else entirely to any map in my collection
The finishing touch for your unique map: hundreds of colours and styles to choose from
The Unique Maps Co. is based in London, England. That's where most of my cartographical research and map restoration is undertaken.
The workshop is where the "magic" happens, where analogue and digital come together to create beautifully unique maps for my customers.
Rolls of old paper, drafting tables, high resolution scanners, big computers and even some artificial intelligence – the workshop is always an exciting place to be!
Over the years, The Unique Maps Co. has slowly and steadily expanded, launching printing and framing facilities in 17 countries.
This means that over 95% of my maps are produced and dispatched locally, which reduces delivery times and ensures that my customers' maps always arrive in perfect condition.
In addition to my larger production hubs, I also work with dozens of small printers and framers in cities around the world. Sometimes the best way to get a giant 4-meter-wide map to a customer is to make it at the frameshop around the corner.
After almost four decades, there are two things that keep me going: the thrill of uncovering a particularly rare or unusual map, and knowing that there are thousands of happy customers out there with a unique map on their wall.... and hopefully thousands more to come!
Get in touch if you want to discuss anything about my maps or my shop.
Alternatively you can use the live chat in the bottom left corner of your screen, call the workshop on 020 3286 8802, or message me on WhatsApp.
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