The Map Chest is owned and operated by Patrick and Anette Ahrens. Pat and Anette have long shared an interest in history and geography, a passion furthered during a career with the United States Army that spanned 21 years and four continents. The Map Chest is the result of more than 15 years of map collecting.

The Map Chest focuses on original antique maps printed in the 16th through 18th Centuries. Occasionally we find cartographic items of interest printed after 1800 and non-cartographic, antique prints that strike our fancy. We offer those items for sale as opportunities arise. The vast majority of the maps we sell were printed from copperplates and woodblocks.

In addition to this web site, The Map Chest shows its products at Antiquarian Book Fairs and Antique Shows four to six times per year. The Map Chest is based in Springfield, Virginia. For those living in the Washington D.C Metropolitan area, you may phone to arrange a meeting to view items for sale.

Pat is a retired Army officer with a bachelors degree from the University of California at Berkely and a masters degree from the Joint Military Intelligence College. Anette is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. Both Pat and Anette have traveled extensively, to include study abroad in Russia and Germany. They have settled in Springfield, Virginia to pursue their personal interests and to raise their two children - a combination not always possible when in uniform.