About me

I was born in 1960. I grew up on an island in the North Sea and later along the Baltic coast. The sea and coastal landscapes have been a part of my life since earliest childhood, shaping who I am. To this day, water means far more to me than a geographical element — it represents discovery, trade, connection, and new beginnings. It's no wonder, then, that maritime themes form a special focus of my map collection.

As a teenager, atlases and travel books were among my favorite reads. Tracing routes with my finger on maps, I followed the journeys of great explorers and researchers, discovered distant coastlines, island worlds, and trade routes, and developed a lifelong passion for geography and cartography. Many of those atlases and travel guides still sit on my bookshelf today, alongside specialized geographical literature.

After school and civil service, I co-founded a company in the courier, express, and parcel delivery sector. I spent my professional life in logistics — and maps played an important role there too: analyzing sales territories, optimizing transport routes, and strategically planning locations are all tasks where geographical thinking is essential. Economic geography remained a constant companion throughout my working life.

With the end of my active career, cartography reclaimed the place it had held in my youth. Through courses from ESRI, the OpenStreetMap community, universities, and other educational institutions, I continually deepen my knowledge of geography, cartography, and geographic information systems.

Among my first collector's pieces were a steel engraving of the city of Bonn by Matthäus Merian from the 17th century and a development plan of Manhattan from the 1910s. From these beginnings, a small collection of historical maps and plans has grown over the years. I am particularly fascinated by maritime charts, coastal representations, harbor plans, and the cartographic documentation of exploration and trade routes. They reflect the close connection between people, water, and space, and tell stories of courage, curiosity, and technological progress.

Museums, libraries, academic institutions, private collections, and their digital archives are for me an almost inexhaustible source of extraordinary cartography. Time and again, I am captivated by the craftsmanship, precision, and historical significance of old maps. I am especially drawn to the artfully designed legends, cartouches, coordinate grids, and wind roses that elevate historical maps far beyond their practical purpose into true aesthetic masterpieces.

It was from this passion that the idea for this shop was born. Here I want to share exceptional maps, city plans, and historical prints with people who appreciate geography, history, and the art of cartography as much as I do.

I look forward to joining you on this journey through space, time, and the history of maps.

Ulf Kalis