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The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd. is one of the world's leading specialist shops in antique prints, maps and related books. Our business operates on a philosophy of offering the finest in old art on paper within a rigorously researched historic context.
Our gallery is located on Lancaster Avenue in historic Wayne PA, a bit west of Philadelphia, near Villanova and King of Prussia. Following easy directions, The Philadelphia Print Shop is convenient to reach by car or public transportation. The shop is about a 40 minute train ride (on the SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale line) or by automobile from center city Philadelphia, about two (2) hours by car from New York City and two-and-a-half (2 1/2) hours from Washington, D.C.
Visitors to our shop are welcome to browse through our collection of over 10,000 antique maps and prints, or to view our impressive array of related reference works, rare plate books and atlases. Our knowledgeable staff is always pleased to discuss any aspect of antique prints and maps, or offer advice on any questions you might have.
Tuesday - Friday 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
If you will be in Philadelphia and would like to visit outside of normal hours, please feel free to contact us by phone or email in order to set up a special appointment. The shop is closed most major holidays.
The Philadelphia Print Shop, founded by partners Donald H. Cresswell and Christopher W. Lane, first opened its doors in September 1982. The two partners came to the antique print and map business by very different paths. Don Cresswell had worked at the Library of Congress on its collection of Revolutionary War prints and was a college librarian before working as a cataloguer and salesman for Graham Arader. Chris Lane was working on his Ph.D. thesis in Philosophy when he decided to take a hiatus to research and pursue his hobby of collecting antique maps and prints. Chris and Don started their own business a year later, in order to pursue their common interest in antique prints and maps.
From the beginning Don and Chris focused on providing an extensive collection of prints and maps of all kinds, well researched and fairly priced. They worked happily with institutions, beginning and advanced collectors, those interested in decoration for their home or office, and those looking for an unusual gift. In addition to its extensive website , the Print Shop has issued informative catalogues on different topics, including Americana, natural history, maps, genre prints, and fine art prints. The staff has now grown to six from a business initially consisting solely of the two partners.
The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd. has exhibited at many of the finest antiques shows around the country, and Don and Chris appeared as expert appraisers on the popular PBS television program The Antiques Road Show.
Chris relocated to Colorado in 2010, so the partners opened a branch there. As of January 1, 2015, Chris and Don amicably dissolved their partnership. Chris now operates his own business in Denver.
At the end of 2019, Don retired as sole proprietor of The Philadelphia Print Shop, selling the business to David Mackey in August 2020. David moved the business to Wayne, PA and reopened there in October.
Our inventory encompasses a wide selection of original prints, maps and books from the 15th through the 19th centuries. These include woodcuts, engravings and lithographs, many with original hand coloring, ranging in price from $25 to $25,000. A major part of our inventory is our selection of Philadelphiana, including views, portraits, maps and books relating to Philadelphia and its history. Our natural history selection is also particularly strong, including images of flowers, birds, fish, quadrupeds, and many other aspects of the natural world. Amongst the naturalists represented are Audubon, Curtis, Redouté and Ehret. Our stock also includes fine art, genre, Americana, historical, American Indian, and sporting prints. These include images printed in America and Europe, by such publishers, artists and firms as Currier & Ives, Boydell and Trumbull. We also carry one of the country's broadest inventories of antique maps and views of all parts of the world, with special emphasis on America. Cartographers represented include Sebastian Munster, Abraham Ortelius, Gerard Mercator and Willem Blaeu; and view makers include John Hill, William Bennett and William Bartlett. Our book offerings include scarce travels and histories, beautiful color plate books and one of the widest selections of reference books on prints and maps available anywhere.
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For more information call, write, fax or e-mail to:
106 E Lancaster Avenue, Lower Level
Wayne, PA 19087 USA
(610) 808-6165
PhilaPrint@PhilaPrintShop.com
©The Philadelphia Print Shop Last updated July 13, 2021