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Posted by: Amelia Raines
Curious about our collections? Please join Geography and Map Division staff tomorrow for a virtual orientation to our collections and resources!
Posted in: Events, Geography and Map Division
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
1960 was a dramatic year for Africa, in which 17 countries gained their independence from colonial powers. This post charts the events of that watershed year through a series of political maps produced by the CIA.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, African History, Borders, Middle East and North African History
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
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Please join Geography and Map Division staff tomorrow for a virtual orientation to our collections and resources! Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Time: 3:00-4:00 pm (Eastern) Location: Zoom Register for this session here! Reference librarians Cynthia Smith and Julie Stoner will present an introduction to the Geography and Map collections at the Library of Congress. This orientation …
Posted in: Events, Geography and Map Division
Posted by: Amelia Raines
In 1798, James Rennell, an English cartographer primarily known for his maps of British territories in India and South Asia, published A map shewing the progress of discovery & improvement, in the geography of North Africa. This map combined geographical information gathered from sources spanning more than 1.5 millennia, from recent explorers all the way …
Posted in: 18th century cartography, African History, European History, Exploration
Posted by: Amelia Raines
In 1884-85, a group of European dignitaries met in Berlin and delineated the boundaries of French, British, Belgian, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German colonies on the continent of Africa. Lines drawn on the map became administrative reality, and over the next few decades European governments busied themselves with exploring, surveying, and conquering their new territories. One …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, African History, Borders, European History, Exploration