What are ward maps?
The term ward map is one of many descriptors for the type of 19th century and early 20th century maps we specialize in. Often called real estate, plat or neighborhood block maps, ward maps contain detailed information such as property owner names, building street numbers & heights, public infrastructure such as subways, street names & water mains, business names, institution names as well as information on public parks and water ways.

Ward maps were published to paying subscribers in bound atlases. The subscribers were typically real estate concerns who used ward maps to track property ownership and type. Ward maps were used by municipalities, real estate firms, insurance companies and other entities that needed a detailed record of where properties were located, who owned properties, and what properties were constructed of. All of the colors in our the maps on WardMaps.com are original, though many have sadly faded over time. Many of the publishers used colors as a graphic code to indicate construction types of the buildings, i.e. pink for brick and yellow for wood.

Ward Map atlases focus on a specific county, city or neighborhood and typically had 20-40 maps or "plates" each. Each plate focused on a small geographic area, usually only a few city blocks or a portion of a town. A few map plates usually covered one city ward, hence the moniker "ward maps".

What are "original, antique maps"?
Original, Antique maps are the real thing. They are genuine vintage maps that were originally published decades ago. Look for the "Buy Original Antique Map" buttons throughout our website for your opportunity to purchase an authentic piece of cartographic history.

What are "restored maps"?
Restored Maps are our specialty. We digitize all the maps we own and restore them using the latest graphic software. We sell archival quality prints of the restored maps. We do not perform restoration of the paper maps. An example of an unrestored (before) and restored (after) map can be found here.

How does WardMaps.com restore maps?
Using the latest digital image manipulation software, we carefully remove significant blemishes such as water stains, foxing and tear marks. We do not alter technical information nor the beautiful patina, sometimes called browning, that these historic documents have picked up over time. We do not "blast" the maps with a simple change of color or adjustment of the contrast. That method can result in the loss of the patina and subtleties of the original map. We digitally restore maps at the level of the pixel far beyond what the eye would see in the final print. And since our source scans are 300dpi-400dpi, we can achieve an amazing level of restoration.

The WardMaps.com restoration process is directed by WardMaps.com co-founder, Brian Beaucher, who has years of experience with the digital restoration of sensitive historic documents. Brian pioneered and directs the WardMaps.com digital restoration process. He received his formal training in digital media and graphic design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Brian has worked at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts assisting the conservator and curator of the 19th Century Asian Photography Collection. Read more about Brian here.

What are "unrestored maps"?
Unrestored Maps are direct replicas of the original, antique maps in our collection. We performed no alteration to the source map, hence our reference to them are "unrestored". We coined this term to make a distinction from our "restored" maps (see above). An example of an unrestored (before) and restored (after) map can be found here.

Where does WardMaps.com obtain maps?
Our maps are contained in atlases that we procure come from estate sales, auctions and antiquarian book dealers who trade in them. They are rare and out of print. We created WardMaps.com as the premier online resource for purchasing antique originals as well as museum quality prints of these rare maps. We also add maps from private collections. Contact us about archiving your rare maps.

How does WardMaps.com digitize maps to be printed?
We utilize two processes to digitize our maps. The first process scans original maps at 300-400dpi via a large-format commercial scanner. Maps are scanned in a single pass, allowing us to capture all of the detailed text, colors, building plans and place names of each map. We do not assemble any of our maps from a series of smaller scans.

The second process is photographic, utilized for maps too large or too fragile for the scanner. For oversize and fragile maps we utilize a high resolution digital camera, similar to that used by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston to capture large art work for printing. With the maps digitized, we begin the restoration process.

Certain maps are already digitized by third parties for inclusion in our collection. We only work with digital files of the highest resolution and quality.

How does WardMaps.com make prints?
Our prints are museum quality, which means that we print only with archival inks on acid-free papers. We exclusively use professional-grade Epson Ultrachrome inks and print onto genuine Epson watercolor and white matte papers. Our prints are not simple color copies, nor are they desktop type ink-jet prints. Our prints are "100 year" prints. Each of our map prints is printed to order and must pass individual inspection before we ship it. More about our print media can be found here.

How do I order Antique Maps & Map Prints?
Step 1: Browse our online collection of over thousands of maps. Click here to browse maps now.
Step 2: Once you have located the map you would like, click on "Buy This Antique Map" or "Buy Print of This Map" and select from the options to follow. Be sure to select framing and/or shipping options.
Step 3: Add the item to your shopping cart. Review your order and follow the prompts to process your order using our secure checkout process. You will receive an automated email confirmation of your order.

How do I order Specialty Gifts of any map in the collection?
Step 1: Browse our online collection of over thousands of maps. Click here to browse maps now.
Step 2: Once you have found the map you like, click on "Buy This Map On Specialty Gift ". On the webpage that opens, select the specialty gift type and print image. Follow the options to finalize quantity and other details.
Step 3: Add the item to your shopping cart. Review your order and follow the prompts to process your order using our secure checkout process. You will receive an automated email confirmation of your order.

How do I purchase Ready-To-Order Specialty Gifts?
Visit our Specialty Gifts Gallery here.