Contact Earliest Chicago Maps
Whether you have a question about our services, want to schedule a gallery visit, or need expert guidance on a cartographic project, our team is ready to assist. Reach out by phone, email, or the form below and let us help you connect with Chicago's remarkable mapped history.
Visit Our Gallery in Printer's Row
Located in one of Chicago's most historically significant neighborhoods, our gallery offers a welcoming space to explore centuries of the city's cartographic heritage.
Our gallery and research center at 714 South Dearborn Street occupies a beautifully restored loft in the heart of Chicago's Printer's Row neighborhood. The space reflects the area's deep publishing heritage, with exposed brick walls, original timber beams, and natural light that creates an ideal environment for viewing and studying historical maps. Whether you are a first-time visitor curious about Chicago's earliest cartographic records or a seasoned collector seeking a specific piece, our team is ready to welcome you and share our knowledge.
When you walk through our doors, you will find a rotating exhibition of original maps and museum-quality reproduction prints spanning from the 1673 Jolliet expedition through the transformative 1909 Burnham Plan and into the twentieth century. The gallery is arranged chronologically, allowing visitors to follow Chicago's growth from a marshy portage site at the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan into one of the most ambitious and carefully planned cities in the world. Each display includes interpretive labels written by our historians, providing context about the surveyors, cartographers, and civic leaders who shaped the documents on view.
Beyond the exhibition galleries, our space includes a dedicated consultation room where clients meet with our authentication and appraisal specialists. This private setting is equipped with archival-quality lighting, magnification equipment, and reference materials that allow our team to conduct thorough preliminary assessments of maps brought in for evaluation. The consultation room is also where we hold meetings with interior designers, architects, and corporate clients planning large-scale reproduction installations for offices, restaurants, hotels, and public spaces throughout the Chicago area and beyond.
Get in Touch
Fill out the form below and a member of our team will respond within one business day. For immediate assistance, call us during gallery hours.
Contact Information
Chicago, IL 60605
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Monday: Closed
Walk-ins welcome during gallery hours. Appointments recommended for authentication, appraisal, and large reproduction orders.
Our Service Area
While our gallery is located in downtown Chicago, our services extend well beyond the city limits to clients across the country and around the world.
In-Person Services
Our gallery at 714 South Dearborn Street serves walk-in visitors and appointment-based clients throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Whether you live in the Loop, the North Shore suburbs, the western collar counties, or northwest Indiana, our centrally located Printer's Row space is easily accessible by car, train, or bus. In-person services include gallery visits, map evaluations, custom framing consultations, print pickups, and guided educational tours of our collection and the surrounding historic neighborhood.
National Shipping
We ship reproduction prints, framed pieces, and completed research reports to clients throughout the continental United States. All items are professionally packed using archival materials and shipped via insured carriers with tracking. Oversized and high-value items receive custom crating to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. We also accept items for authentication and appraisal by mail, with insured return shipping included in our service fees for domestic clients.
Virtual Consultations
For clients who cannot visit in person, we offer video consultations and remote project management for reproduction print selection, framing design, preliminary authentication assessments, and research scoping. Our virtual consultation service has allowed us to work with collectors and institutions across the country and internationally, including museums, university libraries, architecture firms, and hospitality companies seeking historically significant map art for their properties.
What to Expect When You Contact Us
We want every interaction with Earliest Chicago Maps to be informative, efficient, and enjoyable. Here is what happens after you reach out.
Acknowledgment
Within one business day of receiving your inquiry, a member of our team will respond with a personalized acknowledgment. We will confirm receipt of your message, identify the best point of contact for your particular need, and provide an estimated timeline for a more detailed follow-up if your request requires specialist input from our authentication, reproduction, or research departments.
Consultation
Depending on the nature of your inquiry, we will schedule a phone call, video meeting, or in-person consultation at a time that works for you. During this conversation, we discuss your goals in detail, answer any questions about our processes or pricing, and outline the scope, timeline, and cost of the services that align with your project requirements and budget.
Proposal
For projects involving reproduction prints, authentication, custom framing, or research, we provide a clear written proposal with itemized pricing, project milestones, and delivery estimates. There is no obligation to proceed, and we are happy to revise the proposal as many times as needed until it fits your requirements and budget perfectly before any work begins.
Delivery
Once you approve the proposal, our team begins work immediately. You will receive progress updates at key milestones and a final quality review before delivery. We stand behind every piece of work with a satisfaction guarantee and offer ongoing support for framing care, archival storage recommendations, and future collection building.
Our commitment to transparent communication and personalized service is at the core of everything we do. Founded in 2012, Earliest Chicago Maps has built its reputation on treating every client with the same care and attention, whether the project is a single framed reproduction for a living room or a multi-piece installation spanning an entire corporate headquarters. We understand that historical maps carry deep personal and cultural significance, and we approach every inquiry with the respect and expertise that significance demands. From the moment you first reach out to the day your completed project is delivered, you will work directly with knowledgeable specialists who are passionate about Chicago's cartographic heritage and dedicated to helping you achieve your vision.
Frequently Asked Questions About Contacting & Visiting
Practical information to help you plan your visit, schedule a consultation, or reach our team.
Do I need an appointment to visit the gallery?
No appointment is necessary for general gallery visits during our regular hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday, 12 PM to 5 PM). However, if you would like to access our research library, schedule a private viewing of items from our archive, or arrange a guided tour for a group, we recommend booking in advance by phone or through our contact form. Walk-in visitors are always welcome to browse our current exhibitions and speak with a staff member about our services.
How long does it take to receive a response after submitting the contact form?
We aim to respond to all contact form submissions within one business day. For straightforward inquiries such as pricing requests or general questions, you can often expect a reply the same day. More detailed requests involving authentication quotes, custom reproduction specifications, or research project scoping may take up to two business days as we consult with the appropriate specialist on our team. If your matter is urgent, we encourage you to call us directly at (312) 555-0147 during business hours.
Is there parking available near the gallery?
Street parking is available along Dearborn Street and the surrounding blocks in the South Loop, though it can be limited during peak hours. Several paid parking garages operate within a short walking distance of our gallery, including facilities on State Street and Wabash Avenue. We are also conveniently accessible by public transit: the Harrison Red Line station is a five-minute walk away, and the LaSalle/Van Buren station serving the Brown, Orange, Purple, and Pink Lines is roughly seven minutes on foot. Many of our visitors also arrive via the Metra commuter rail at LaSalle Street Station, which is just two blocks north.
Can I bring a map or print for an in-person evaluation without a prior appointment?
We are happy to offer brief informal assessments during walk-in visits when a staff member is available, but we strongly recommend scheduling a dedicated consultation for any items you would like formally evaluated. A scheduled appointment ensures that the appropriate specialist is on hand, that we have adequate time to examine the piece carefully, and that we can prepare any reference materials in advance. To schedule an evaluation, please call us or submit a request through the contact form and include details about the item, including approximate age, size, and any known provenance.
Do you offer virtual consultations for clients outside of Chicago?
Yes. We regularly work with collectors, institutions, and businesses across the United States and internationally. We offer virtual consultations via video call for services including reproduction print selection, custom framing guidance, research project scoping, and preliminary authentication assessments based on high-resolution photographs. For formal authentication and appraisal requiring physical examination, we can arrange insured shipping to our gallery or coordinate an on-site visit depending on the scope and value of the collection. Contact us to discuss the best approach for your needs.
Ready to Start Your Cartographic Journey?
From a single reproduction print to a full corporate collection, our team brings over a decade of expertise in historical Chicago cartography to every project. Call us today, stop by the gallery during business hours, or fill out the form above to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to helping you connect with Chicago's extraordinary mapped past.