Anyone no where I can buy historical maps of Taipei or Taiwan? I am looking for ones at least 50 years and also old photographs of Taiwan.
My wife is acting as a publishing agent right now for a Dutch antiquarian book dealer, writer and photographer who specializes in Taiwan history. He’s in town right now and has a satchel full of old maps, most of them around 300 years old. He also has an original leather-bound copy of Psalmanazzar’s Isle of Formosa published in 1705 with handwritten annotations from about 1730.
This stuff is not cheap, though – the maps are around US$1,000, while he wants US$2,500 for the Psalmanazaar, some of which you can see here: http://www.romanization.com/books/psalmanazaar/index.html
One of his publishers in Taipei has a number of prints of old maps and such for sale at much more reasonable prices, though. You can find them here:
SMC Publications
Nan Tien Books
Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 3, Lane 283, Alley 14, No. 14
Sandman, Thanks for the reply!
Do you know where the “Taiwan from Space” prints can be got (or “gotten”, as I am typing with an Umerikun accent) ?
I just found this article on http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/20030129/20030129s1.html : Historical photographs go online
HTH
Iris
I am dusting off this old thread.
I have not had a chance to check the company mentioned in Sandman’s post. But does anyone know of any other places–bookstores, museums, or so on–that sell prints of old maps (not the expensive antique ones), especially maps of Taiwan.
I went to the recent exhibiton of old maps of Taiwan at the National History Museum. Contrary to David Momphard’s sour review in the TT, I thought that it was a wonderful exhbit.
However, when I asked about buying prints of the maps, or even postcards, I was told by a rather brusque museum employee that everything was sold out and nothing would be reordered. I wanted to try to explain to her that if the prints and postcards of the old maps had sold out so quickly, then there must be a demand for them–and that the museum could make more money by printing more. I was dismissed with a wave of the hand.
So, if anyone has any information about where to buy prints of old maps or postcards of old maps, please let me know. Thanks.
The exhibtion at the museum has ended, btw.
[quote]SMC Publications
Nan Tien Books
Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 3, Lane 283, Alley 14, No. 14[/quote]
Sandman,
Is this in the Gonguan area? In one of the small alleys near XinSheng and Lane 86?
If you don’t mind, could you please post some simple directions to this place.
I guess you can see why I need to buy some maps?!
See the map (in Chinese) at the bottom of this page:
smcbook.com.tw/buy.htm
Another excellent store in that neighborhood is the Taiwan de dian (or something like that). It uses an unusual character for the de. To get there from SMC, go north and then turn right. It’s on the north side of the lane.
[quote=“fee”][quote]SMC Publications
Nan Tien Books
Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 3, Lane 283, Alley 14, No. 14[/quote]
Sandman,
Is this in the Gonguan area? In one of the small alleys near XinSheng and Lane 86?
If you don’t mind, could you please post some simple directions to this place.
I guess you can see why I need to buy some maps?![/quote]
Fee, it’s about ten minutes from the MRT, a street north of ESLite and about 200 meters to the east. There are lots of book shops in the area. After you hit SMC, if you continue going east on the same street, turn at either the first or second right (can’t remember which one), and you’ll find a big store full of Taiwan-related books, CDs and souvenirs.
Thanks very much to Cranky Laowai and HakkaSonic for the directions–and for Sandman for the information.
Hexuan,
I have a box set of 2 satelite images of taiwan that fold out to be extremely long and very cool. a smaller historcal map is also included along with some geographical information. i cant rememberr how much i paid for it but i bought it from one of the stalls in the underground walkway between shanglian and zhong shan mrt stations. they still have some left
[quote=“Southpaw”]Hexuan,
I have a box set of 2 satelite images of Taiwan that fold out to be extremely long and very cool. a smaller historcal map is also included along with some geographical information. i cant rememberr how much i paid for it but i bought it from one of the stalls in the underground walkway between shanglian and zhong shan mrt stations. they still have some left[/quote]
Thanks.
There’s a big one-volume book that covers the whole of Taiwan at 1:50,000. There’s a copy in the Zhongyou (Chung Yo) Department store near me. I forget the price but I’m pretty sure it’s more than 2000NT. It’s made by the same company that makes the 2-volume mostly 1:50,000 Taiwan map for 2000NT a volume that I’m still lusting after.