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Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post features selected maps that were created under the auspices of the Federal Writers' Project.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, African American History, American History, Manuscripts
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
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
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Edo (present day Tokyo) served as the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate from 1603 to 1867. During the Tokugawa period, the Tokaido Highroad was the most important route in Japan. The Tokaido road stretched over 300 miles from Edo to the capital city of Kyoto. A cartographer named Ochikochi Doin surveyed the route in 1651. …
Posted in: 17th century cartography, Asian History, Biography, City Histories, Manuscripts
Posted by: John Hessler
The staff of the Geography and Map Division, and the members of the Philip Lee Phillips Map Society, dedicate this important acquisition and blog post to our former colleague, Ed Redmond, who passed away last month and whose life was lived surrounded by maps and manuscripts just like it. In his memoir History Continues, the …
Posted in: 18th century cartography, American History, Manuscripts
Posted by: John Hessler
The Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Archaeology and History of the Early Americas contains important archaeological artifacts, rare books, manuscripts, maps, and graphic works of art, which survey the earliest history of the lands that would become known as the Americas. In 2004 Jay I. Kislak, a businessman, philanthropist, military aviator, and collector, donated …
Posted in: Exploring the Early Americas, Kislak Collection, Manuscripts, Series: Excavating Archaeology
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: John Hessler
This is the second in series of guests posts by Giselle Aviles, the 2019 Archaeological Research Associate in the Geography and Map Division, where she is delving into the treasures of the William and Inger Ginsberg Collection of Pre-Columbian Textiles and the Jay I. Kislak Collection of the History and Archaeology of the Early Americas. …
Posted in: Exploring the Early Americas, Kislak Collection, Manuscripts
Posted by: Tim St. Onge
The Library of Congress staff is excited to launch Story Maps, interactive and immersive web applications that tell the incredible stories of the Library’s collections! Story Maps, created within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based software platform created by Esri, combine text, images, multimedia, and interactive maps to create engaging online narrative experiences. Under a program …
Posted in: Geography and Map Division, Manuscripts