A Map of Africa, a Journey and an Anniversary GiftWe had another lovely surprise visit at ICAS Vilas Art Gallery when our regular client Stuart returned from his trip to Uganda. His next framing project brought together travel, history, and a personal celebration: a map of Africa dated 1851, which he gave his wife as a wedding anniversary present. Now, looking for ideas on how best to capture their history & connection to complete the gift.
Together, we discussed a minimalist design that would let the map’s delicate engraving, decorative border, and warm paper tones take centre stage.
We plaque-mounted the map to float within a generous 8.5cm antique-white surround. Chosen to complement the aged paper, this soft shade creates a gentle visual continuation beyond the map’s edges, giving the composition space to breathe.
The frame itself is a restrained, flat 2.5cm wooden profile, hand-stained with a dark sap-green colour wash. The wood grain remains visible, adding warmth and character while drawing out the map’s subtle colouring.
Inside the box frame, ivory-white sides introduce depth. Their pale finish and the shadows around the raised map create the impression that it is floating within the frame.
UV-filtering conservation museum glass completes the presentation. Its low-reflection finish lets you appreciate the intricate details more clearly while helping reduce UV-related fading.
The result is a quietly distinctive piece, bringing together the character of an old map and the meaning of a thoughtful anniversary gift.
For us, this is where framing becomes personal: listening to the story behind an object, then finding the right balance of colour, space and craftsmanship to honour it.
The map measures 51cm × 38.5cm and is plaque-mounted to appear to float within an equal 8.5cm antique-white border on all four sides. The warm surround complements the aged paper, giving the map space to be appreciated. Finished with the hand-stained dark sap-green wooden profile and ivory-white inner sides, the final framed size is 68cm × 55.5cm.
A Little History Behind the Map – Historical Record: Africa, circa 1851.
The decorative border, illustrations, and visible publisher’s inscription suggest the map depicts Africa, drawn and engraved by John Rapkin and published by John Tallis & Company, London and New York. A matching example is catalogued in the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection under 1851, within The Illustrated Atlas, edited by R. Montgomery Martin. J. Marchant is credited with the illustrations, engraved by J. H. Kernot. The map combines historical knowledge with pictorial scenes, including St Helena and depictions of African communities. It also records the limits of contemporary European geographical knowledge. The University of Texas at Arlington notes that this map omits Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika and retains the legendary “Mountains of the Moon” as the Nile’s supposed source. These features make it a revealing record of nineteenth-century European mapping, rather than an accurate guide to Africa today.
