Historical Maps

Maps shape our view of the world and reflect the ideas of both their age and their makers, and as such are significant primary sources for researchers, whether historians and philosophers or environmental geographers. Many historical maps also have great aesthetic value and can be appreciated as works of art, such as Giovanni Battista Ramusio’s La Nvova-Francia, a beautiful first edition from the Edward J. Mullaly Map Collection (MS-2-46).

The Archives' historical maps are primarily found in the Mullaly Collection, the Pullen Map Collection, and the David and Marilyn Janigan Map Collection. We have a variety of historical maps of the Halifax region, ranging from nautical charts to bird's-eye view maps, as well as noteworthy historical maps of Canada and select cities. Additional maps and atlases can be found in Special Collections and the Map Collection.

David T. Janigan. "Leisure Time Hobby: On the Walls." Nova Scotia Medical Journal 72.6 (December 1993): 222-25.

Kenneth A. Kershaw. Early Printed Maps of Canada. Ancaster, Ont. : Kershaw Pub., 1993-1998.

Katie MacDonald. "Mapping Out an Old Hobby." Dalhousie Magazine 28.1 (Spring 2011): 45.