Printed maps have been issued with color ever since they first appeared, early in the 16th century. Color was used for two main purposes: decoration and information. Color made maps more attractive, which was an aid in selling, as well as an end in itself. Color also served the function of conveying information by enabling the cartographer to differentiate parts of the map and to emphasize features such as rivers, lakes, and towns.
Before the mid-nineteenth century, essentially all color on maps was applied by hand. Map publishers and sellers hired independent colorists or did coloring on their own premises, and individual purchasers hired illuminators to embellish maps purchased in black and white. By the nineteenth century, the use of stencils changed the nature of color on maps. It became the standard for maps to be published with color, and the quality of color became more uniform from map to map. It was only toward the end of the nineteenth century that printed color became standard on maps.
Willem Blaeu after Juris Carolus. "Tabula Islandiae."
Amsterdam: Joan Blaeu, 1672+. 15 x 19 1/2.
Engraving. Full original hand color. Koeman: 1250:2:2.
Some antique maps were issued with color, some were issued both with color and uncolored, and some were issued only uncolored. Most collectors prefer to acquire maps with "original color", if such are available, rather than uncolored maps. Though color added after publication is not generally considered to be a flaw of condition, its presence is an issue which must be considered by the collector. Strictly speaking, original color is added to a map at the time of its publication, by or under the direction of a map publisher. However, in the broader sense implied by the alternative terms "contemporary color" and "period color", the concept often encompasses color added by the original map seller or by a professional illuminator hired by the initial purchaser. In this broad sense, original color can even include instances where the initial owner added his or her own color.
How does one tell the difference between original and new color? In some cases, this is an easy matter to decide, but often even an experienced expert may have great difficulty in determining the age of a particular map's color. In recent years, collectors and dealers have come to demand maps illuminated with "appropriate" color, and modern colorists have become proficient at applying color which looks the same as original color. As prices for some maps have increased to significant amounts, it has become worthwhile for unscrupulous persons to learn to duplicate the appearance of original color in order to sell newly colored maps for prices more appropriate to those with original color.
While it is often difficult to gauge the originality of the color in a particular map, there are ways in which a collector can become more competent in making such judgments. The most important means of gaining proficiency in identifying original color is to study the history of maps in order to learn what type of color, or lack thereof, is typical of which maps, and to examine as many maps with original color as possible. There are also other clues for a collector who is trying to determine the originality of a particular map's color. However, all these methods are fallible and their application to particular examples is often difficult to judge, so one needs to have considerable experience to use them accurately. A collector should consult with dealers, curators, and other collectors, both to help determine the originality of color in a particular instance, and to add to his or her own knowledge.
