Historic maps of Africa collection
place: label: Place
content: Africa -- Discovery and exploration
label: Place
content: Angola
label: Place
content: Ghana
label: Place
content: Egypt
label: Place
content: Cameroon
label: Place
content: Sierra Leone
label: Place
content: Africa -- Maps
label: Place
content: Senegal
label: Place
content: Gambia
label: Place
content: Guinea
label: Place
content: Africa -- Colonization
label: Place
content: Africa
label: Place
content: Africa -- Civilization
label: Place
content: Africa, Southern
label: Place
content: Kalabar (Nigeria)
label: Place
content: Volta River (Ghana)
label: Place
content: Africa, North
label: Place
content: Africa, East -- views
label: Place
content: Africa, West -- views
setName: label: See more items in
content: Historic maps of Africa collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Historic Maps of Africa collection includes 78 maps and dates from circa 1631 to 1973.  Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics.  While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions.  There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 78 Maps
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1631-1973
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The maps were transferred from both the Robbins Center and the Warren M. Robbins Library, National Museum of African Art.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: EEPA.1991-001
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Maps
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in chronological order.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was rehoused and photographed in 2010.  Map dimensions are measured height x width.

Processed by Gabriella Bellegarde and Eden Orelove, December 2016
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Historic Maps of Africa collection consists of 78 maps, dating from circa 1631 to 1973, with the bulk created in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  The maps vary in size, ranging from the smallest at 7 x 7 (7/8) inches to the largest at 40 x 30 (5/8) inches.  

Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics.  While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions.  There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast. 

The majority of the maps in the collection feature color illustrations.  Titles and descriptions of the maps are in several languages (Dutch, English, French, German, and others), representing the different colonial powers in control at the time.  Particular maps of interest include an 1830 colored map in English titled "Africa from the Best Authorities," which illustrates the entire African continent, various ethnic groups, and the inroads made by European colonial powers; and a 1656 topographic map in French depicting the west-central coast of Africa, specifically the mountains and rivers of the region. 

Digital copies of the maps are available.