The Venable Collection documents the history of cartography, geography, and exploration from the sixteenth through the early twentieth century. Materials in the collection include maps on loose sheets, bound atlases, textbooks, and works on geography. Over 150 single-sheet maps provide examples of the work of noted cartographers such as Abraham Ortelius, Willem Blaeu, Thomas Kitchin, and John Speed.

Holdings: 173 single-sheet maps; 79 bound atlases

Access

Digital versions of the single-sheet maps are available through the MU Digital Library. The collection is available to all researchers. Request materials for use in the Special Collections reading room. The collection is in the process of being fully catalogued in the University's online catalog, and can be browsed under the author heading Gary E. And Janet J. Venable Antiquarian Atlas And Map Collection.