About the Collection
The Sunderland Collection comprises exquisite cartographic objects from the 13th to the early 19th centuries.
AFeaturing world maps, celestial maps, atlases, books of knowledge, and globes, it is a unique curation showcasing the evolution of knowledge, as well as a striking celebration of human exploration, discovery, and sheer wonder.
The Collection was founded over 30 years ago by Dr Neil Sunderland, an avid traveller to remote places and a friend of high mountains, who has been passionate about maps, diverse cultures, and ideas for many years. While the Collection is now owned by Adinvest AG, Neil plays an active role in supporting its goals.
What We Do
Honouring human achievement and skill across the centuries, our vision is to be inclusive and dynamic, moving forward as part of a global community of engaged and curious travellers.
Our aim is to make the Collection as accessible as possible for enjoyment and study. We therefore loan objects out for exhibitions, make them available to scholars, and provide online access at Oculi-Mundi.com.
We are also active champions of heritage skills, craftsmanship, art, and ideas:
The Sunderland Collection Art Programme invites contemporary artists to engage with, and respond to, items from the Collection.
We are proud to collaborate with the iconic house of GRIMA on unique jewels inspired by the Collection’s maps and atlases.
Our podcast WHAT’S YOUR MAP? can be heard on all major platforms. Hosted by historian and writer Jerry Brotton, listeners meet a range of eclectic, international people who live and breathe maps – taking us literally anywhere!
In October 2024, we held the first Sunderland Collection Symposium – exploring digital innovation in mapping– in association with The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, and ARCHIOx.
We offer reproductions of select maps and motifs from the Collection for sale. These have been individually hand-pressed on Fabriano paper, in the method used by map-makers centuries ago.
The journey of human exploration is ongoing – and it beckons!