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Posted by: Cynthia Smith
The Borgia world map is described in this post. The map was made during the 15th century by an unknown cartographer. In 1794, the map was purchased at an antique store in Portugal by Cardinal Stefano Borgia.
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 18th century cartography, European History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post is about maps related to the voyages of Sir Francis Drake in the collections of the Library of Congress. The maps are held in both the Geography and Map Division and the Hans Peter Kraus Collection of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
Posted in: 16th century cartography, American History, European History, Exploration
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Featured below is a map known as the “Map with Ship.” The map was donated to the Library of Congress in 1943 by a retired merchant and author named Marcian F. Rossi. Marcian Rossi was born in Italy in 1870. He moved to the United States during the 1880s. The Rossi family inherited a collection …
Posted in: Asian History, European History, 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
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
During the mid-17th century the Dutch mapmaker Joan Blaeu published an atlas that contains finely engraved maps of the major cities of the Netherlands. In 1649 Joan Blaeu published the first edition of the atlas in Latin, in 1652 he published the second edition in Dutch. The title of the atlas Toonneel der steden van …
Posted in: 17th century cartography, Biography, European History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
The Napoleonic Wars began in 1803 and lasted until Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The Geography and Map Division holds numerous maps of the battle. I am sharing images of a few of my favorites. I would like to begin with a brief summary of Napoleon’s final battle and the events that led to …
Posted in: European History, Military History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
William Hacke was one of the most prolific manuscript chart makers for his time. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Hacke produced over 300 navigational charts from 1682 to 1702. In this post I will briefly discuss his career and his role in the pardon of the notorious pirate Bartholomew Sharp. William Hacke was …
Posted in: 17th century cartography, Biography, European History, Manuscripts
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Within the Geography and Map Division’s collections are 42 versions of Ptolemy’s Geography, which is a landmark atlas and treatise on geographic knowledge from the 2nd century, and an influential work in the study of geography and cartography thereafter. These versions are atlases published in the 15th and 16th centuries based off of Ptolemy’s original …
Posted in: 16th century cartography, European History