Welcome to the Rada Map Collection
This website celebrates one of the foremost private collections of Chilean maps and rare books in the world.
Juan Rada — scholar, business leader, explorer — was born in Punta Arenas, in Chile’s southern Magallanes region. There, he developed an early fascination with geography, exploration and the dramatic landscapes of Patagonia and the Strait of Magellan. Those childhood experiences would later inspire a lifelong passion for cartography and the history of South America.
While studying Sociology and Economics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, political events following the 1973 military coup forced Juan into exile. He settled in London, where he completed his doctoral studies at the University of London and began rebuilding his life. It was there, far from his homeland, that Juan first discovered the world of antique maps. With limited means at his disposal, he nevertheless determined to purchase what he could afford. His first acquisition was a modest seventeenth-century map of the Strait of Magellan, which he gave to his father — who later returned it to him to include in his collection.
After completing his thesis, Juan began his first career in academia, becoming one of the early experts on the economic and social impact of the then-emerging microelectronics technology. He was invited to participate in various workshops and consultancy projects with international organizations outside the UK, and, at just thirty-eight years of age, was appointed head of one of Europe’s most prestigious business schools, located in Switzerland. He went on to serve as the first Director General of IMD in Lausanne.
Having settled in France with his wife, Peggy,Juan moved into a second career in the private sector, holding senior leadership positions in the technology industry, culminating in his role as Global Senior Vice President of Oracle Corporation. Throughout his working life, Juan remained actively engaged in the issues of innovation, sustainability and international development.
Juan’s interest in antique Chilean maps and books, which had begun in London, evolved into a passion that would span more than five decades. Through meticulous research, patience and determination, he assembled a collection of hundreds of maps, rare books, charts and historical documents centred on Chile and South America.
Juan was not just a collector of rare objects. He was deeply committed to learning and understanding how explorers, navigators, cartographers and historians interpreted and documented the world over four centuries. He always sought to acquire and preserve not only individual maps but also the books, narratives and historical context that bring them to life. In more recent years, his collection became one of the more important private collections, outside of Chile, of works documenting the region — including rare and significant pieces dating back to the earliest European explorations and offering a unique visual record of how Chile was discovered, mapped and understood.
For those who wish to discover more about Juan’s remarkable journey as a collector, as well as information on his favourite cartographers and maps, the book « Juan Rada: The Man and His Maps » by Munir Ismet, is available from Amazon.