Reproductions of antique maps, plans and panoramic views fascinate and delight the eye, whether you're an artist, historian, planner, cartographer, geographer or just someone who loves maps.
Historic Urban Plans, Inc. was established in 1964 to sell reproductions of historic world maps, city plans, sea charts and birds-eye views. Our collection is based on the private collection of the first owner, John W. Reps.
The current owner, Prof. Michael A. Tomlan, continues to add maps and views, working wih collections from museums, historical societies and art galleries to publish cartographically important maps that are informative, educational and decorative.
Enter our online catalog to see the range of our offerings — city plans and panoramas, world and regional maps, sailing charts, landscapes, street scenes — and to place an order. Welcome!
New York (1766-67) - Surveyed by Bernard Ratzer and published by Jeffreys and Faden 1776, this rare plan includes a view of the city as seen from Governor's Island.
Inset of Gate to the City from Piranesi's etching of early archeological work at Pompeii, 1785
04 January 2012
Now through April 15 at the Museum of the City of New York (a customer of Historic Urban Plans) is an exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811, the foundational document that established Manhattan’s famous street grid. The Greatest Grid traces the enduring influence of the 1811 plan as the grid has become a defining feature of the city, shaping its institutions and public life. The city's founding over a century earlier as a fort (Fort George) and port can be seen in the 18th century Montressor and Ratzer plans, available from Historic Urban Plans (see the catalog).
02 March 2012
Opening at the Cincinnati Museum Center/Union Station is the exhibit "A Day in Pompeii". The Roman city of Pompeii was frozen in time by the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Pompeii's archeological treasures rarely leave Italy and this is the first time they'll be displayed in this part of the United States. Room-sized frescos, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, gold coins, and other priceless ancient artifacts are on display, along with body casts of the volcano's victims. Historic Urban Plans provided CMC's museum shop with Francesco Piranesi's 1785 plan of Pompeii, which recorded the earliest archeological work done at this famous site.
