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Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post describes a manuscript globe of Mars that was created during the early 20th century by the self-taught Danish astronomer Emmy Ingeborg Brun.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Biography, Women's History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post features a qibla compass that was recently acquired for the collections of the Geography and Map Division. The qibla compass was made in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Middle East and North African History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Topographical maps of Venus are featured in this post. The transit of Venus is also discussed.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Exploration
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post includes images of various types of wine maps that were published during the 19th and early 20th centuries. A brief history of viticulture is also provided.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
A picture of a skull and crossbones marks the location of a special collection in the Geography and Map Division. The collection consists of wreck charts published by U.S. federal government agencies, treasure maps made by famous cartographers during the 18th and 19th centuries, and treasure maps published by commercial companies during the mid -20th …
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Exploration
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
During the 19th century Paris underwent a major urban renewal. I am focusing on some of the maps that were published before, during, and after the renovation of Paris. Before the renovation, the residents of central Paris suffered from cholera epidemics, overcrowding and a high infant mortality rate. The Bievre River, which flowed into the …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, City Histories, European History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Women have made significant contributions to the field of cartography throughout history. In celebration of Women’s History Month I have chosen to write about the noted 19th century cartographer, educator, and historian, Eugenia Almira Wheeler Goff. Eugenia Wheeler was born in 1844 in North Clarkson, New York. Her family moved to Winona, Minnesota when she …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Biography, Women's History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Early maps of Iceland are compelling, they are often embellished with sea monsters and pictorials. Modern maps of the country are equally interesting because of the unique shape and terrain of the island. Iceland, with its glaciers and volcanoes, is accurately nicknamed the “Land of Fire and Ice.” The maps of Iceland featured in this …
Posted in: 16th century cartography, 17th century cartography, 19th century cartography, European History, Exploration
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Jules Verne was a prolific writer. He is often referred to as the “father of science fiction.” Verne became famous for his Voyages Extraordinaires, a series of 54 novels that were originally published by the French publisher and author Pierre-Jules Hetzel. The most widely read novels from the series are Around the World in Eighty …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, Biography, Imaginary maps