NSU Horizons Spring 2018

Some maps show landscape features, others show road- ways, and still others show climate zones, economic activity, and political boundaries. But all maps share the ability to tell stories. That’s exactly why one international businessman is sharing his collection of antiquarian maps with the world. Neal Asbury bought his first map—a depiction of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1800s—in an antique book- store. “It wasn’t a particularly important map. It wasn’t expensive, but I bought it because I was reading about this history, and now I could hold a piece of that history,” Asbury said. Today, he owns more than 2,000 maps, some dating as far back as the 15th century. The Discovery of the Americas and the Founding of the United States is Asbury’s latest collection, featuring more than 150 carefully curated maps and engravings of the Americas dating from the 1400s through the birth of the United States. During a recent presentation of his collection at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library, Asbury spoke about the importance of maps in understand- ing history. “There’s this movement today of trying to rewrite history and making history conform to a partic- ular view. It’s so important to preserve it, not to change it. The good, the bad, the ugly—it is what it is. That’s my mission,” he said. Asbury’s collection, presented in chronological order, makes it easy to compare any map of the same region, over the span of a decade, a generation, or even a century, and see the stories unfold. Antiquarian maps chronicle more than just geography and the discovery of new territories; they tell stories of politics, science, philosophy, and the evolution of society. Many maps feature cartouches with illustrations of people, animals, structures, and customs. Some, as Asbury pointed out, explain an explorer’s folly, such as the quest to find the mythical city of gold (El Dorado), while others confirm the existence of real historical figures, like Pocahontas and John Smith. One cartouche, in a map of New England and the northeastern United States, depicts a protective stone wall on Manhattan Island, the namesake of New York’s now famous Wall Street. Although Asbury collects maps from other regions of the world, this collection is reflective of his deep-rooted patriotism. Comparing himself to the likes of General George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, he said, “They had a dream, and they had this passion, but what they had to work with was so much less than the challenges they faced.” Today, Asbury is the CEO of an American manufacturing and exporting company, the host of a nationally syndicated talk radio show, a published author, and a weekly columnist. “These [maps] tell the story of these great men who launched this thing, which became the United States,” he said. The maps in Asbury’s collection were produced before the existence of mass printing. In those days, cartographers used woodblock or copper engraving methods, resulting in maps that were as artistic as they were functional. Due to this, maps were considered a luxury item, usually commis- sioned by wealthy and royal patrons. Their survival is another testament to their importance. “When you think about what had to happen for us to become the United States, whatever challenges we have today become insignificant,” Asbury said. “These maps inspire appreciation for who we are as a people.” ¨ BY MERLY MESA Mapping History Through the Art of Cartography Collector Neil Asbury believes antiquarian maps help ensure history is told honestly.