This exhibition was curated by Dr. Peter M. Enggass, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography and Geology, Mt. Holyoke College, Yolanda Theunissen, and George S. Carhart. Valuable assistance was given by Dr. Harold L. Osher, Prof. Matthew H. Edney...
The copper printing plates used for maps generally had long lives, some remaining in use for many decades, or even centuries. Plates were edited or reworked by successive cartographers and printers as a matter of course. Some were sold or inherited, ...
The importance of a map to an historian or historical geographer lies not only in the information depicted graphically but also in the texts that frequently accompany maps. Such texts provide a variety of important evidence for understanding the past...
A "cartouche" is the frame used to highlight and emphasize pieces of text on a map. The text might be the map's title, its place and date of publication, the maker's name, a dedication, or some explanation of the map's features. As innately decorativ...
The use of illustrations on or with a map to commemorate an important event has long been common. One such example is this combined map and image by the Danckertses. The map was first published by Justus Danckerts in 1680; Justus's son, Cornelis Danc...
Towards the end of the 16th century, travel literature began to appear for readers who wished to "travel" without leaving home. Publishers were challenged to give their readers pictorial representations of cities that were both pleasing to the eye an...
The steady growth of map making through the Renaissance stimulated the collection of more detailed geographical information about areas already mapped. When Abraham Ortelius published the first modern atlas, in 1570, he devoted just one map to Spain;...
Although the Spanish Empire declined somewhat in political importance during the seventeenth century, it remained a powerful entity whose territories continued to provide important trading destinations. Many people throughout Europe, especially merch...
During the 18th and 19th centuries, European governments increasingly consolidated their control over their territories. Necessary components of this process were both detailed mapping and the development of coherent, organized networks of communicat...
Navigators have long communicated information about the seas and coasts by a variety of means: word of mouth; the written word; graphic images and profiles of the coast; and, charts. Today, most sailors use a combination of charts and written guides....
