When the Royal Geographical Society was founded in 1830, one of its aims was the formation of “a complete collection of maps and charts from the earliest periods of rude geographical delineations to the most improved of the present time.” In its early years, maps and charts were received from British mapping authorities, with additional support given by the Dutch, French, German, and other foreign governments.

Today, the Society holds the world’s largest private map collection, including over 1 million sheets of maps and charts, 3,000 atlases, 40 globes (as gores or mounted on stands), and 1,000 gazetteers. Rare antiquarian maps, atlases, and gazetteers continue to be presented to the Society by organizations and by individual donors, with the earliest printed items dating back to the fifteenth century.

In addition, the collection includes manuscript materials from the mid sixteenth century onwards, aerial photography, and contemporary satellite images, making this one of the world’s most comprehensive resources relating to maps and mapping for a wide variety of users.

Pomegranate’s books of postcards contain thirty top-quality reproductions bound together in a handy, artful collection. Easy to remove and produced on heavy card stock, these stunning postcards are a delight to the sender and receiver. Note: postcards are oversized and may require additional postage. ISBN: 978-0-7649-4893-0; size: 4 3/4 x 6 7/8".