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Posted by: Amelia Raines
This post explores a unique geologic map. Ives's strata map, made up of 10 plates representing different geologic periods, was designed as a tool for instruction in schools and colleges in the late 19th century.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Miller Jaquet, Junior Fellow in the Geography and Map Division, explores the cartography of West Africa and what maps reveal about power, politics, and how we got HERE.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, African American History, African History, Guest Posts
Posted by: Amelia Raines
This second post in the Fabricating the World series explores mapmaking with woodblock printing.
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 16th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Asian History, European History, Series: Fabricating the World
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Copperplate printing was a major method of map production for several hundred years. This post explores the history of printing maps with engraved copper plates, featuring several example maps and photographs of copper plates from the Geography and Map Division collections. This is the first post in a new series about map printing and creation, Fabricating the World.
Posted in: 16th century cartography, 17th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Series: Fabricating the World
Posted by: Amelia Raines
This post explores a unique Thai cloth map, acquired by the Geography and Map Division in 2023.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Asian History, Borders, Manuscripts
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Explore a new search interface for the Sanborn map collection, launched in conjunction with an updated version of the Geography and Map Reading Room website.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, American History, Geography and Map Division
Posted by: Amelia Raines
This post is a compilation of the Places in History series written by G&M staff in 2011 and 2016, which explores maps produced during the Civil War, their creation, and the geography they depict. Previous blog posts based on that series can be seen under Places in Civil War History. Mapping Slavery According to the 1860 …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, African American History, American History, Military History, Series: Places in Civil War History
Posted by: Amelia Raines
The story of the naming of America has been told before – not surprisingly considering the object central to the story, Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 world map, is one of the most important treasures in the Geography and Map Division. The name was bestowed by the mapmaker to show his support for Amerigo Vespucci’s argument that …
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 16th century cartography, 17th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, African History, American History, Asian History, European History, Exploration, Middle East and North African History, Oceania
Posted by: Amelia Raines
A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity, thanks to generous funding from the Philip Lee Phillips Society and the Library of Congress Professional Association, to attend the Material Foundations of Map History, 1450-1900, course held by the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The course was taught by Matthew Edney, Osher …
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, American History, Geography and Map Division, Manuscripts