The Rada Map Collection

The Collection

The Rada Map Collection showcases one of the world’s most significant private collections of antique maps and rare books relating to Chile, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan. Assembled over more than fifty years, Juan sought out and acquired hundreds of rare maps and publications documenting the exploration, discovery and cartographic history of Chile and South America from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

Featuring works by some of the most important cartographers, explorers and publishers in history,his collection provides a unique insight into how Chile, and the surrounding region, was recorded, interpreted, and understood through the centuries. It is both a scholarly resource and a visual journey through the history of exploration, navigation, and mapmaking.

This website represents the collection as it was in October 2023. Since then, Juan has donated a sizable number of maps and books to the Biblioteca Nacional de Chile in Santiago, while certain items have been sold and others remain available for sale. For this reason, the information on this website can be consulted but not downloaded. It is hoped that the maps and books presented here will be of use for research purposes and for the enjoyment of cartography enthusiasts.