Repair and Restoration

Dissected Maps

Paper maps are delicate things. Folding travel maps are especially useful because, in all weather conditions, a purely paper map would quickly disintegrate.To solve this problem, map makers from Georgian times and before would dissect the map into panels and lay them down on cotton or linen cloth like tiles on a bathroom wall. This would strengthen the map and enable it to be easily folded into a slipcase, ready to be used by the traveller on the open road. Nevertheless, they had a high mortality rate, as the following map shows.

Sometime in 1736, someone bought one of Emanuel Bowen’s maps of Kent and began to travel the roads of the county. Going by the condition of the case and cloth, they must have travelled extensively. Where it has been for the last 284 years we will never know, but finally, time has taken its toll and the map has completely disintegrated, the cloth having rotted away. The paper, though, is in pretty good condition apart from the corners of each section being somewhat worn and rounded. To preserve it for maybe another 284 years, we have removed the old cloth and re-laid it on new cloth. The old case had also disintegrated, so we made a new one, incorporating as much as we could of the old one.

E Bowens Map of Kent Circa 1736

Detail of Map and Case

Map Re-laid

Paper Maps in General

Later in the 1800s, as demand for maps grew, many publishers ceased laying their most popular maps on cloth and simply folded the map. This was fine if you only needed the map for a short time, but on the open road, the map began to split along the folds and holes appeared at the corners of folds.Thus, these maps had an even higher mortality rate than dissected cloth maps, so even common maps of the period can now be quite rare.

Plus, these maps had an additional problem to contend with. From around 1800, paper became machine-made and often included wood pulp, which includes tannins that are acidic. Over time, this acid attacks the fibres of the paper and makes them brittle, causing the paper to crack and crumble.

All is not lost, however, as the solution is the same as before: we lay the map on cloth, thus preserving it and preventing further damage.

Weekley Dispatch Map Circa 1863

Detail

Map Re-laid

No matter what the size or number of pieces, if you have a map that needs repair then simply email some photo's to us.

Further Examples of Repaired Maps

Old Cleeve 19th Century Estate Map

Old Cleeve Map Re-laid