Maps might not seem the most fascinating of topics, but for history buffs and geography buffs, or those just interested in the world, they offer a deep insight into the past and the present and tell us things we may never have known.

It’s with thanks to the revolutionary exploits of the Royal Navy captain and explorer James Cook that we have as much land chartered as we do. Some of his maps were so accurately chartered they were still being used as recently as the mid 20th century! During his three voyages, he travelled to and mapped the coastline of New Zealand, the eastern coastline of Australia, created charts of the southern Pacific Ocean and mapped the coast of California all the way down to Bering Strait. You can still find copies of these Georgian maps, along with other maps from long before this period, and they make excellent and interesting decorative pieces for collectors and hobbyists alike. Antique maps have charm and history sorely lacking in the mass-produced versions we find today. Imagine whose fingers might have touched them...