Help me find a gift for a map-obsessed friend

March 8, 2007 10:34 AM

Gift-Filter: Friend who likes maps + Access to a map library = ???

A good friend's birthday is coming up and I would like to get him something map-related. This is a person who enjoys spending countless hours just pouring over old AAA road guides or discarded atlases. He also has a strong interest in local history and politics. Through work, I have access to a large collection of antique maps and airphotos of the area my friend grew up and still resides in, his family has a large part in developing the local area and civic history etc.

What's a good way of presenting this? FWIW, I have at my disposal a high resolution scanner, printer, oodles of geographical goodness and at least two good-natured map librarians.

posted by wannabehippie to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

Anything you can scan easily you can collect and put on a DVD for him to peruse. Other than that you might want to see if you can get your hands on any maps that either have been discarded or may be soon. Talk to the good-natured map librarians and see if they have any that have been superseded.

If you end up burning a DVD you could maybe make a nice label for it and wrap up the case. As for actual maps, maybe a tube to keep them in, which you could giftwrap as well. If you get your hands on an especially nice one you could get it framed.
posted by benign at 10:49 AM on March 8, 2007

Maybe create a book of close-up prints of areas that would be of particular interest to the person (where family houses are, school, landmarks) and then burn the larger maps onto a DVD (so he can explore more), which can be attached inside the cover of the book?
posted by stefnet at 11:03 AM on March 8, 2007

Find the ones with the best stories (two or three), print, and frame, including a nice little description of why it's especially interesting (where the plaque giving title and artist would normally go), with the intention of it being something that can fit in on one of his walls. Quality is (imho) better then quantity, the time you spend picking out nice frames and thinking about where they could be placed is part of the gift.
posted by anaelith at 11:05 AM on March 8, 2007

If you're able to get him access to the collection, you could give him a "gift certificate" for a printed and framed map, and then bring him to peruse the maps and select one himself. Spending a few hours doing that would be part of the gift (seems like something he'd enjoy).
posted by staggernation at 11:18 AM on March 8, 2007

Perhaps a copy (hardcover?) of The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime?
posted by mjbraun at 11:19 AM on March 8, 2007

Nthing the framing. Framing is expensive, and something I'm always putting off for my maps.

Seek and find a series of 3 maps that you think would tickle his fancy. (eg they're beautiful, if that's what he likes; they're rich in odd data, if that's what he likes; they're historically curious, of great regional or family interest, etc). Then get them framed - or arrange that he can go pick out the frames for himself. Sounds like you have a ton of resources - don't drive yourself crazy trying to find the one perfect gift. It sounds like you have a lot of options for very, very good gifts, so pick one (eg one series of maps) that appeals to you and go for it.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:23 PM on March 8, 2007

Two other thoughts: there are several recent huge editions of old atlases (eg the Atlas Major of 1665). These aren't as personalized, but might be good for some map fiends.

You could get a book published -- in an edition of one -- by Lulu or similar service, that contains a bunch of the local, regional, etc maps you mention here. I don't know how Lulu handles copyright, or how their reproductions of fine detail are, though.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:27 PM on March 8, 2007

From Mighty Goods, think about the Atlas Major. Spendy, but maybe this friend is worth it?
posted by cior at 1:31 PM on March 8, 2007

National Geographic Maps on CD
posted by lobstah at 3:14 PM on March 8, 2007

Oops...that's what I get for not reading the whole question. Still, the NG Maps are really cool.
posted by lobstah at 3:18 PM on March 8, 2007