The gallery of prints remains a treasure of the Philippines
from the work of cartographers Who first charted the Philippines in 16th Ranging from the 19th century to World War II maps used by Japanese or American forces for wartime tactics, the Print Gallery remains a valuable source of ancient maps and prints that provide insight into Philippine history. Historian of Small Wonders Embeth Ocampo is a regular visitor.
The gallery's vast showroom in Parañaque City houses an abundance of original historical printed materials about the Philippines, beginning with Magellan's initial visit to the islands in 1521.
Although all of the objects in their care are originals, gallery supervisor Amber Imai said the print gallery keeps their prices in reasonable proportion to local purchases.
“Compared to international trading companies, because almost all of our maps are focused on the Philippines, there is the idea of repatriation, so at least what we offer is accessible to Filipinos,” he explained. businessworld In a special tour of the showroom on October 24.
Maps cost from P2,000 to P2 million depending on their age, size, and quality. “We have old ones from the 1500s, but because of the quality, they are priced very low because of the burnt edges, stains, mildew. In good quality, small maps from that time come up to P10,000,” she said.
One of the crown jewels of the collection is an extremely rare, hand-painted copper engraved Terza Tavola or India Orientalis map of 1563, which serves as the “birth certificate” of the Philippines, as it is the first printed Western map showing the repetition of the name “Filipina”.
There is also the Filipinae Insulae of 1616, the second edition of the oldest map showing the Philippines alone. Meanwhile, the sketch of Manila harbor from the 1619 Spielbergen expedition offers a rare printed view of Manila Bay, featuring an attacking fleet and a smoking Taal volcano.
The Print Gallery also has a reproduction of a 1734 Philippine map by Jesuit monk Pedro Murillo Velarde for sale (they also have an original, but it is not for sale). It is still relevant today, being used as evidence that Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands are part of the Philippines. On the map, they are labeled as Panacott Shoal and Los Bajos de Paraguay, respectively.
“Not many people are interested in maps, but I think the number is increasing. It's also like art collecting, in that you can spend a lot, but the appreciation value is changeable and subjective,” Ms. Imai said. “But while art depends on the market and overall crowding, cartography and antique maps are very stable investments.”
He said, “After all, it is for people who like history and related hobbies. We want young people to start collecting more and more maps. It's just that many people don't know about it, and they don't realize the importance of maps in transmitting information.”
since 1996
Major cities around the world boast at least one art gallery specializing in ancient prints. The Print Gallery, which opened in 1996, is the first and only gallery in the Philippines. His inventory contains over a thousand objects spanning five centuries.
Its owner, Rudolf JH Lietz, is a German who lives in the Philippines to run his raw materials and export business – which is why the showroom is located in the Lietz Industrial Complex in Parañaque.
In a spacious, well-lit, air-conditioned space, the large collection is divided into two parts comprising 16th and 17th century maps on the ground floor, and 18th and 19th Century maps on the second floor.
“In fact, we only moved here in July of 2024. We previously occupied a small gallery space in 3third The same level as the Glorietta, but it was only half the size of this showroom. Here, we get a chance to show what we have much better,” Ms Imai said.
On the second floor, a collection of interactive globes attracts the eye, but there are also lithographs of flora, fauna and ethnographic images. Sketches of Philippine hawk eagles, cockatoos and kingfishers can also be seen, as well as scenes of jackfruits and natives threshing rice.
There are shelves of antique books and publications specializing in, but not limited to, the Philippines. The subject matter covers a wide range, including Southeast Asian history, anthropological studies, and wartime narratives.
For Ms. Imai, her collection of old magazines illustrated world And harper's weekly Provides history information, with some issues mentioning Emilio Aguinaldo and the Philippine–American War. One could spend an entire afternoon alone viewing material on World War II.
“For example, there's a US Air Force chart map made of silk, so that when you get off the airplane and you have to navigate in water, you have an emergency map that can get wet. I believe it's included in the escape kit on the plane,” she explained.
a complete collection
Mr. Litz, who founded the Philippine Chapter of the International Map Collectors Society, also published an extensive collection of ancient prints in the gallery's collection.
Topic Philippines at 19th Century – A Collection of PrintsThe book was published in 1998 with postcards, reproductions, and other personal items, intended to showcase the Philippines' past to a wider audience.
“It is available as a coffeetable book in many museums and bookstores. If you don't want to invest in everything here, you can just grab a copy of this book, which only costs P3,500. It contains everything we have from the 19th century,” Ms. Imai said.
He said he is working on a second book focusing on his 18-year-old selfth The Century Prints collection is set to arrive sometime next year.
The Gallery of Prints is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association, the UK's leading trade body for specialists in rare books, manuscripts and prints. It is also part of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.
According to Ms. Imai, it aims to set the standard for the collection and awareness of ancient maps, prints and books in the Philippines.
He said, “It's not just because of ego that we collect – because there are collectors out there who want things just because they are so valuable but store them inappropriately.” “Here, we take a lot of precautions, keeping things cool and taking care of them so they don't get bent or torn or spoiled.”
In keeping with Mr. Litz's primary business, the gallery also offers supporting services such as acid-free, museum-style conservation matting and framing. Rudolf Lietz, Inc. Provides in-house picture hanging systems of galleries, which are used by many galleries, architects and interior decorators in the Philippines to design or furnish their spaces.
Everyone is welcome to schedule a showroom tour through Gallery of Prints' social media pages. For Ms. Imai, there is no point in guarding the treasure she has.
“It's very valuable in terms of knowledge. Each item here shows a unique, important perspective of Philippine history that we have overlooked or that we don't know about, and we actually have access to that.” , Bronte H. Laxmana
