Since I was a kid, Key West meant fishing to me and my parents would take me to the forts, museums and lighthouse. In my twenties the town meant more than fishing with parties, bars and girls!
My interest in Key West became more serious when we started to make maps of Florida with a ten map series dedicated to the Keys and Dry Tortugas. Key West is a particularly important map because of the island’s rich history and it’s alluring nightlife, which is about all most people around the world know about the Keys. As with each of our maps, I go the location with the goal of making an attractive wall piece which visitors can understand and that locals approve of in terms of names and nuances.
I made several dedicated trips to Key West and stayed in historic hotels. As I went to the various landmarks it surprised me I’d been to them before, a habit inherited from my parents, though I’m sure some of my visits were in an altered state. A love of history also got me started collecting antique maps many years ago.
After finishing our map of Key West we started contemplating a coffee table book on the Keys which came to be in early 2020, The Florida Keys, A History Through Maps. It was only possible with my co-author who grew up in the Keys and also collects antique maps.
Key West is an island city that was once the wealthiest and largest town in Florida, built on the back of shipwrecks along the Keys reef line. There’s railroad history and much more to explore when you get there, maybe even a seafood restaurant and a bar or two!
For more information on the Key West map and other maps visit our site here! Island Map Publishing has also recently release the Florida Keys A History Through Maps book that is available on our site and Amazon! Give us a call at 239-963-3497 with questions, we are happy to help!
