The Library of Lost Maps

Maps

A map of inland Western Africa, including present day Niger, Nigeria and Chad. The map shows the rivers, mountains, lakes, and settlements, many with colonial-era names.

Map Gallery

Here you will find scans and photographs of nearly all of the maps featured in The Library of Lost Maps. Information has been kept to a minimum as each map is designed to be viewed alongside a copy of the book.

Please note that copyright of the scans sits with the UCL Department of Geography and clearance for the maps themselves has been sought only for use in the book. It is your responsibility to seek/ check permission for re-use of both the scan and the map itself.

If you have arrived on this page without having purchased a copy of the book you can order with the link below.

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Welcome to the Map Library (Maps 1-14)

A 1920s aeronautical map of Iraq showing terrain, rivers and flight paths. Mountainous areas in the northeast and deserts in the centre and south are labelled. Navigation circles, grid lines, and a legend are included for aviation use.
A detailed lunar chart of the Copernicus crater region of the Moon. The map illustrates Copernicus with the surrounding terrain, showing numerous smaller craters and ridges. Shading and relief emphasise the Moon's surface texture, with coordinate grids and labels identifying key features.
A circular world map centred on London, with lines radiating from London to other major global cities, illustrating air routes.
An Italian-language topographic map of the Swiss/ Italian Alps, depicting the Cervino and Monte Rosa regions. Mountain peaks and valleys are illustrated with contour lines and shaded relief. Glaciers are shown in blue, while human settlements appear in red.
An English and Chinese-language pictorial map of China filled with illustrated figures, animals, landmarks and regional activities. Provinces are defined with bold red borders, and the surrounding seas show ships and trade routes. Two inset maps show the January and July temperatures of China and the Asian continent.
A detailed map of the Holy Land, covering modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. Topography is shown with shaded relief and mountain ridges. Major cities, biblical sites, and routes are labelled. Inset maps show the city of Jerusalem and its surroundings.
An illustrated map of the 'Social City' of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. It shows an urban layout along a river with numbered landmarks, with a walking route connecting these sites.
A German-language map of southern England created by the Luftwaffe, highlighting four zones (A - D) and London shaded in black. The map includes aerial photos of landscapes like hedgerow fields and farmland. Symbols indicate terrain types, settlements, roads, and land use patterns.
A map of central Coventry showing damaged buildings from the Blitz. Illustrations of overhead military aircraft are scattered on and around the map, with a note explaining that all of the buildings shown were destroyed or seriously damaged.
A topographic map fragment showing the terrain in Peeblesshire, Scotland. Contour lines and varied colours represent elevation and land use. The map includes handwritten notes: "Peebles Sheet 43 S.B. Wagstaffe, May 1936".
The Land Utilisation Survey map of Great Britain shows how land is used across England, Scotland, and Wales. Insets display island groups like Shetland and Orkney.
A map of the South China Sea region, with maritime boundaries and disputed areas marked by dashed lines. Coastal nations depicted include China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
A compilation of world maps created at different points in history. At the centre is a map from the 20th Century showing the extent to which the world's regions have been mapped. Surrounding it are smaller maps that show shifting geographic understanding across centuries.
A 19th-century map of West Africa, showing settlements and trade routes.

A Room Full of Stories (Maps 15 – 22)

A French-language bird's eye view map of central Paris, illustrated in black and white with the River Seine in blue. The map shows detailed buildings, streets, and monuments of 20th-century Paris.
A German-language 20th-century map of central Madrid, showing parks, railways, buildings, and main roads. An alphabetical index of street names surrounds the map.
A Spanish-language illustrated map of Cuba highlighting its landscapes, mountains, and transport routes. The main map shows terrain and vegetation, along with an inset of Havana. Along the bottom are small painted scenes depicting different regional environments.
A 19th-century street map of central London, with neighbourhoods labelled by postal district codes. The map is worn and partially torn at the top.
A historical poverty map of South East London, showing areas like Greenwich and Deptford along the River Thames. Streets are shaded in colours from red to purple, representing social classes.
A colour-coded social map of East London, with streets shaded from yellow (wealthy) to black (poor) to highlight socio-economic divisions.
A map showing parts of Central Europe with highlighted cave zones by size and importance. Shaded regions and numbered labels indicate major cave areas in Germany, Austria, and surrounding countries.
A Czech-language transit map of Prague for the 1965 Spartakiáda event, showing various transportation routes to the stadium. The Vltava River runs through the centre, and key city districts and transfer points are labelled.

George Bellas Greenough’s Remarkable Maps (Maps 23 – 26)

A large geological map of the Indian subcontinent, shaded in varied colours to represent different rock types and terrain. Mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, are contoured. Insets and legends list geological formations and field survey details.
A German-language geological map of the Indian subcontinent, with various colours representing different formations and terrain types.
An Italian-language map of northern Italy and parts of the Adriatic, with finely shaded mountain ranges, rivers, and labelled cities. Accompanying tables and annotations list military stations, with a decorative eagle emblem appearing over the Adriatic Sea.
A geological map of England and Wales that shows different rock types and strata with varying colours and patterns. Mountainous regions, coastlines, and geological boundaries are marked and provide a view of the region's physical structure.

Bloomsbury (Maps 27 – 36)

A map of London from 1843, showing a dense street grid with the River Thames in the centre. The map depicts key landmarks, buildings, roads, and parks.
A 19th-century map of the Western Hemisphere, centred on the Americas. North and South America are outlined in blue and yellow, each with labelled countries and oceanic islands. The map is circular and surrounded by latitude and longitude lines.
A 19th-century map of the Eastern Hemisphere, showing Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Political borders are outlined in blue, red, and yellow, and countries are labelled. The map is circular and surrounded by latitude and longitude lines.
A map of Geneva, showing the star-shaped Bastion Fort along the Lake of Geneva. The city's streets, buildings, and defensive structures are shown, and an inset at the top right shows the surrounding area. An illustrated image of the view of Geneva complements the map.
A 19th-century map of Calcutta (Kolkata), India, showing street layouts, the Hooghly River, and Fort William. Illustrations of landmarks are featured along the bottom.
A map of Venice depicting the network of canals and islands. Streets, buildings, and landmarks are outlined, as well as the Canale Grande and the Canale Della Giudecca. An inset of the surrounding area along the Adriatic Sea and an illustration of St. Mark's church accompany the map.
A map of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, showing a street grid of buildings and streets. The Hudson and East Rivers are also shown. Insets include illustrations of the City Hall and Broadway from the Park.
A 19th-century map showing detailed topography, cities, and islands of southern mainland Greece, the Peloponnese, and Crete. Cities, regions, and bodies of water are labelled. An inset shows Ancient Athens's remains, landmarks, and harbours.
A map of inland Western Africa, including present day Niger, Nigeria and Chad. The map shows the rivers, mountains, lakes, and settlements, many with colonial-era names.
A shaded relief map of Lake District, England, divided into different-coloured sections. The map shows geographic features such as valleys, ridges, and water bodies, as well as labelling populated areas and roads.

Knowledge is Power (Maps 37 – 47)

A German-language map showing the global distribution of the most common diseases. Regions are shaded and annotated to mark affected areas. Insets focus on North America and the Caribbean, a map of cholera outbreaks, and a detail of southern Africa. Texts explain disease characteristics.
A map that shows the principal rivers of the world, arranged radially around a central compass. Each river flows outward from a shared point for a visual comparison of their lengths and paths, and countries are indicated along each river's course. An accompanying index lists the length and occurrence of each river shown.
A German-language map that shows temperature distribution across the northern hemisphere with contour lines representing isotherms across continents and oceans. The central circular projection includes Europe, Asia, North America, and parts of Africa. The map contains graphs that compare the temperature and elevation of the 'New World' to the 'Old World'.
A set of four German-language European maps, detailed and coloured by region and/or by linguistic ethnic groups. The maps centre on Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe, each showing political boundaries, cities, and terrain.
A French-language map that shows the distribution and types of lighthouses along the Finnish coastline. The map uses symbols to represent lighthouse characteristics such as size and flash pattern. Finland’s coastline and terrain are shown with contour lines and rivers, and the map features illustrations of different lighthouse structures.
A German-language 19th-century map showing Europe and surrounding regions. It depicts national boundaries, cities, rivers, and railway lines. Four different insets supplement the map, each showing the population density, the ethnographical conditions, the ecclesiastical conditions, and the telegraph lines of Europe.
A Greek and French-language map that displays Greece’s topography, provinces, cities, and islands. Borders are outlined in different colours to distinguish administrative divisions. A legend of symbols, mountains, and place names contextualises the map.
Map that illustrates Mackinder's 'the Natural Seats of Power' theory, dividing the world into three geopolitical zones: the 'Pivot Area' (Central Eurasia), the 'Inner or Marginal Crescent' (surrounding continents), and the 'Outer or Insular Crescent' (southern hemisphere). The theory suggests that control of the Pivot yields global dominance.
A French-language topographic map of Switzerland, showing mountains, rivers, lakes, and borders in relief. The map includes multiple insets that display the linguistic, religious, and political distributions across Swiss cantons and neighbouring regions.
A British trench map showing the area around Gouzeaucourt, France, during World War 1. The map shows the contour lines, terrain, and German trench networks in red.
A sketch map that depicts the distribution of foreign nationals in London at the onset of World War 1. Various London districts are labelled with the estimated number of and nationalities of foreign reservists. A caption below the map describes the scene at Charing Cross as foreign nationals rushed to return to their home countries.
A map showing the estimated maximum railway capacity based on actual usage during the winter of 1916-1917 in the Russian Empire. It shows the extensive network of railways across Russia, Ukraine, and parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Major cities are highlighted with inset maps that detail key railway junctions.

‘Tidying’ the Map (Maps 49 – 56)

This map covers Europe, covering the territorial changes following World War 1. Red lines highlight new national boundaries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. An inset map of Africa shows the colonial possessions of major European powers.
A heart-shaped world map projection highlighting the British Empire in red. Major colonies like Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa are highlighted in red, while other countries are in yellow.
A German, Polish, and French-language map showing the distribution of Polish people in Central and Eastern Europe, with shaded areas indicating the percentage of Polish populations in the total population. An inset map depicts the different languages spoken in Central and Eastern Europe.
An ethnographic map of pre-Trianon Treaty Hungary, divided into three regions (West-Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern). The distribution of nationalities is done by colour shading and represented by varying colour intensities based on the population percentage in each area.
An ethnolinguistic map of Europe from 1917 highlighting languages of political significance, using different colours to represent distinct languages. Both political and linguistic boundaries are depicted, and an inset shows the political borders in Europe in 1815 for comparison.
Shaded relief map showing the topography of the Alsace-Lorraine region. The map includes rivers, ridges, and some settlement markings, with an inset map showing the region's elevation in metres.
Ethnographic map of Anatolia (modern-day Türkiye) with groups marked using colour-coded dots and regions.
A Hungarian, English, and French-language map showing ethnic groups in pre-Trianon Treaty Hungary. Colour-coded areas represent different populations in relation to population density.

Manipulative Maps (Maps 57 – 77)

A Russian-language map of the Russian Civil War, showing major military movements and territorial control in the USSR. Red represents Bolshevik advances and territories, while blue arrows show White Army and Allied operations. Key battles, troop movements, and strategic zones are marked with symbols and dates. Illustrations of soldiers wielding guns and on horseback are shown on the map.
A German-language map illustrating post-1918 territorial losses and restrictions on Germany. The map features symbolic shading and nationalist annotations.
A German-language set of four thematic maps showing trade flows of potatoes and pigs across Germany in 1928 and 1931. The maps use coloured arrows and circles to indicate outbound local trade, imports, and exports.
A German-language map that shows the ethnic composition and religious communities in Burgenland, Austria. Circular diagrams of varying sizes represent population sizes and ethnic compositions, with colours indicating different groups. Insets include religious distribution and regional bar charts comparing ethnicity and religion by district.
A German-language flow map that illustrates the origins of spouses who married in Lutzmannsburg, Austria, in 1934. Colours and symbols differentiate between different origins, and the sizes of these vary based on the number of people.
A flow map that shows global investment flows between 1914 and 1930, primarily from Great Britain, France, and the United States. Thick arrows represent capital outflows, with the United Kingdom as the most significant source, and circle sizes at destination countries show the volume of foreign capital received.
A Russian-language Soviet atlas displaying economic maps of various regions, including detailed geographic, industrial, and statistical data. The left page shows a large-scale regional map, while the right page contains smaller maps with charts illustrating economic activity across different oblasts.
Two adjacent political maps of Europe from a 1930s book. The left page shows European territories shaded to indicate British, French, and Italian control or influence. The right page shows a map illustrating fascist influence in Central and Eastern Europe, labelling key leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini. Captions below each map critique imperialism and the rise of fascism.
A political world map categorising countries by ideology around the mid-20th century. A legend explains the ideological classifications using various shading patterns.
Cover of the Penguin Special Edition of the 'Europe and the Czechs' by S. Grant Duff. The design features a map of Europe in the centre, with Czechoslovakia in red and all other countries in black.
A map showing parts of France and Western Germany at the onset of the Second World War. The front lines run in the centre, dividing the Allied side to the West and the German side to the East.
A map showing Japanese territorial control and influence in East and Southeast Asia during World War 2. Areas under Japanese control are marked in dark green, with arrows indicating Japanese offensives and recent attacks. Key ports and cities are marked.
A German-language military map from World War 2 showing the eastern coastline of Ireland. The map includes detailed topographic information, colour-coded and annotated according to terrain types.
A German-language military map from World War 2 showing the number of people deemed to be of German ethnicity near the Croatian–Hungarian border around Fünfkirchen (known as Pécs today). An inset contextualises the town's location within the broader region.
A German-language ethnographic map depicting ethnic-religious distribution in the region around Istanbul in 1942. The map shows population groups using coloured symbols and proportional pie charts.
A German-language map illustrating plague epidemiology in South-East Russia. Based on data from 1877 to 1933, the map shows where plague was observed in humans and rodents and where plague control points and laboratories were located. The map also shows the population density of squirrels, which were known plague vectors.
A German-language political world map showing global imperial influence between World War 1 and World War 2, depicting geopolitical control and spheres of influence during the interwar period.
A political map showing Italy and its colonial holdings in North Africa. Northern Libya is highlighted in black, while surrounding colonial powers are marked in dotted regions.

Hiroshima (Map 78)

Topographic map of Hiroshima, Japan, produced by the U.S. Army Map Service. It shows elevation contours, rivers, and transport infrastructure, prepared for strategic military use.

A Fresh Perspective (Maps 79 – 82)

A French, English, and Spanish-language physical and economic map of the Western Mediterranean, showing topography, borders, and trade flows between North Africa and Southern Europe. Arrows and text boxes indicate key imports and exports in each country.
A map showing Allied and Axis-controlled territories surrounding the Indian Ocean, including parts of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South-East Asia. Key shipping routes, major ports and strategic islands are labelled.
English and German-language topographic map of Mount Everest (Chomolungma) in the Mahalangur Himal range. Contour lines and colour shading depict mountainous terrains, valleys, and glaciers. Annotations indicate expedition routes, altitude points, and terrain features. An inset of the broader Himalaya and Karakorum ranges complements the map.
A French, English, and Spanish-language circular map of the Northern Hemisphere showing major global transportation routes. Lines replicate important shipping lanes, linked across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Major ports are marked with symbols, and the projection emphasises Europe and North America as central trade hubs.

The Ocean Floor (Maps 83 – 96)

A map showing the undersea and bathymetric features of the South Atlantic with detailed contour shading. The inland relief of South America and Africa is also shown, and the ocean floor is rendered in shades of blue and grey to depict varying depths.
A map showing the undersea and bathymetric features of the Western Pacific Ocean with detailed contour shading. The inland relief of Southeast Asia and Australia is also shown, and the ocean floor is rendered in shades of blue and grey to depict varying depths.
A soil map of the United States displaying the geographic spread of major soil types using various colour-coded regions. State boundaries and major rivers are overlaid for reference, and a legend explains the soil group names.
A physiographic diagram of the North Atlantic Ocean, using shaded relief to represent ocean floor features. The inland relief of parts of South Europe, Africa, and North America is also shown, and the ocean floor is rendered in shades of blue and grey to depict varying depths.
A physiographic diagram of North America, displaying the continent's topographical features through shaded relief. A lower panel shows cross-sectional elevation profiles of major physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Appalachian Mountains.
Illustrated map that dramatically visualises Earth's physical geography based on bathymetric and topographic data, using non-traditional oranges, yellows, and browns. It features two large hemispheres, a Pacific Ocean-centred globe and an Atlantic Ocean-centred one.
World map with surrounding regional insets showing global distributions of nutritional deficiency diseases and dietary patterns. Areas are shaded and hatched in colours to indicate types of deficiencies and common diets, with a legend explaining each category. Insets focus on South America, Africa, South Asia, and Indigenous diets.
World map centred on the South Pole showing the marine topography of the ocean floor. Ocean floors are shaded to indicate depth and relief, with darker tones representing deeper areas.
A perspective relief map of the Alps. Mountain ranges are shaded, with major cities, roads, and alpine passes labelled across the region. A legend illustrates which peaks belong to each country.
Shaded relief map showing the ocean floor of the Indian Ocean, highlighting mid-ocean ridges, trenches, and seamounts, with surrounding landmasses including Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
An Icelandic-language topographic map of Surtsey, a volcanic island off the southern coast of Iceland, showing its crater (Surtur), elevation contours, and location relative to the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago.
Colour-coded map showing the age of oceanic crust along the world's ocean basins, highlighting patterns of seafloor spreading from mid-ocean ridges. A legend explains the age of each ocean basin.
A shaded relief map showing and labelling global ocean floors, highlighting ridges, trenches, and seamounts. The continents are also depicted, labelling major cities and with shaded relief.
World map showing detailed topography of the ocean floor and continental landforms, emphasising mid-ocean ridges and underwater terrain.

Maps Go Digital (Maps 97 – 100)

Choropleth map showing the percentage of people aged 15-44 living in private households, with darker blues indicating lower percentages and deeper pinks indicating higher percentages.
Dot density map showing areas in the West Midlands with households lacking access to hot tap water in 1966.
Map showing 2019 sea surface temperature anomalies globally. The map distorts landmasses around the edges to emphasise ocean patterns.
Map of Antarctica and surrounding oceans showing elephant seal migration tracks, colour-coded by tagging locations at six breeding colonies.

A Special Place (Map 101)

Embossed map showing ocean current patterns across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans with a stylised azimuthal projection centred on the North Pole. Flow lines and swirls represent global ocean circulation with artistic distortion.