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Early Modern Cartographic Resources on the World Wide Web
 

 

Map Libraries: World Wide

 

• Amsterdam University Library This site introduces prospective researchers to the holdings and provides information as to hours, contacts, and phone numbers. Holdings include approximately 25,000 maps dated before 1800, including manuscript maps on vellum, maps form the Amsterdam Golden Age of cartography, local and regional maps, town plans, polder maps, and maritime charts. Atlases by Mercator, Ortelius, Waghenaer, Willem Barentsz, Willem and Joan Blaeu, Janssonius, the Visschers, Valck, De Wit, Ottens, Covens & Mortier, Van Keulen, Colom, Roggeveen, Lootsman, Homann, Sanson, Jaillot, and others, in many variant editions, and the great wall map of Holland published by J.A. Colom in 1639 and later revised editions are among the holdings.
• Biblioteca Nacional (Portugal) This web site tells the history of the library and describes the main components of its special collections in cartography. Several excellent on-line images are available, including a nautical chart of the Atlantic (ca. 1550), a world map from the 1513 Ptolemy, and the frontispiece from Ortelius's Theatro de la Tierra Universal (1588). Hours and access to the library are given as well as contacts. A link to "Porbase," the national bibliography base, is also provided. (Portuguese)
• The Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paris) The Maps and Plans Collection has 600,000 maps in printed and manuscript form, 10,000 atlases and map collections, 30,000 references, 104 globes, and a unique portolano collection (whose finest piece is the Miller Atlas, a masterpiece of Portuguese illuminated cartography, 1519). On-line map images include an anonymous "Fool's Cap World Map" (ca. 1590), "Mappemonde à projection cordiforme," by Oronce Fine (Paris, 1536), and "Sphère armillaire selon Ptolémée," by Jean Martinot (Paris 17^th century). Hours and contacts are given. (English and French)
• Bodleian Library Map Room (Oxford) The Bodleian provides the potential visitor with information as to admission requirements, admission procedures, and cost. This site also contains information on how to use the card catalogue of the Map Room. The on-line Map Case contains an assortment of antiquarian maps in thumbnail versions that can be viewed in larger format and downloaded on a limited basis (per the terms you agree to as you enter the site). Useful information about transportation to Oxford, parking, and local maps.
• British Library Map Collections (London) This link contains information about the collections, useful bibliographies, instructions to potential readers ("What should I do before my visit?"), and information on services available to readers as well as remote users of the map library. You can also view the on-line exhibition The Earth and the Heavens: The Art of the Mapmaker and learn about the printed catalogues of the collections. There are also some maps images where you might not expect them within the British Library site; for example, there is an image of Africa from Bleau's Grand Atlas in the "Africa at the British Library" collection online.
• National Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague) A wonderful resource. A description and history of the map collection is available here as well as a listing of Atlas holdings indexed according to Atlantes Neerlandici with call-numbers. For additional information there are links to the visitor's guide and an e-mail address. The site is available in English and Dutch; the following links within the site are very interesting and helpful:
• List of "Dutch" atlases up to 1880 and (partial) facsimiles thereof, primarily based on C. Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici.
• Links to and descriptions of other important map collections in the Netherlands (along with indexes of the holding of each of these according to Atlantes Neerlandici catalogue numbers) -- very useful.
• A Hundred Highlights from the Koninklijke Bibliotheek is well worth a side trip: tour the highlights consecutively or by subject (or go directly to the geography section to view several on-line maps).
• National Library of Australia, Early Map Collections in Australian Libraries Four distinct and significant collections are described. Together they include works by Abraham Ortelius, Nicolas Visscher, and Pieter Goos, maps and atlases by well known British and French cartographers up to the turn of the twentieth century, maps with particular interest in the development of exploration of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• Rare items in the Petherick Collection will be of special interest to early modern scholars, including the 1659 (first edition) of Hendrick Doncker's 'De Zee-Atlas of Water-waereld ...' and the lovely maps by Hessel Gerritsz - one of Australia and Indonesia dated 1627 entitled 'Caert van't Landt van d'Eendracht ...', and another of Western Australia, 1631, showing his discoveries around the west coast.
• R.V. Tooley's collection of maps of Australia to the turn of the twentieth century is also held here.
• National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh) The Map Library has more than 1.6 million items and over 4,000 manuscript maps. A legal depository for the U.K., one of the Map Library's collection goals is to "acquire as complete a record as possible of maps of Scotland produced by Scottish and foreign map makers." For readers of EMLS, the John Bartholomew Collection of early maps and atlases and the Marischal Collection of 137 maps of Scotland from 1573-1873, reputedly collected by Jacobite supporters in France, will be of particular interest. Highlights of the Map Collections shown online include a very early map of Scotland (ca 1570), a bird's eye view of St Andrews (1580), a view of Edinburgh (Braun & Hogenberg, ca. 1582), and John Speed's map of Scotland (1662). Project Pont -- 16th century maps of Scotland, centered on the 77 surviving manuscript maps attributed to Timothy Pont, who was the first to undertake the task of mapping Scotland, has some wonderful examples on line.
• National Library of Wales Specializing in maps of Wales, the library web site has several categories that will be of interest to early modern scholars. In Historical and Antiquarian Maps, there is a colorful display of Humphrey Lluyd's Cambraie Typus (pub. 1573), a map of Pembrokeshire by George Owen (1603), and Christopher Saxton's Proof Map of Wales (1580); holdings include maps by Saxton, Speed, Blaeu, Jansson, and Ogilby, among others. The library has a large collection of manuscript farm and estate maps (the complete list is published in Estate maps of Wales 1600-1836: an exhibition catalogue, 1982); on line, a view of Tretwr Estate is shown. (English & Welsh)
• National and University Library of Iceland A history of the projects of mapping Iceland and a wonderful online display of antique maps of Iceland. Maps by Fernando Bertelli, Giovanni Camocio, Nicolo Zeno, Abraham Ortelius, Philip Galle, Johanes Vrientes, Pieter van den Keere, Gerhard Mercator, Jodocus Hondius, Johannes Janssonius, and more, with an excellent index to the collection. The site contains many digitized thumbnail images that can be resized and examined more closely (zoom to resolutions of 640x480, 800x600, or 1024x768). Very interesting text and images. (In English and Icelandic)
• The Royal Library of Belgium: The Royal Library Albert I: (Brussels) The site gives opening hours, conditions of admission, and cost of reader's card. (English, French, Dutch)
• See alsothe online exhibit: Cartes des Ameriques dans les Collections de la Bibliotheque Royale Albert I. (French)
• The Royal Library, Denmark (Copenhagen) The Map Collection is part of the Department of Maps, Prints and Photographs, and contains Danish as well as foreign resources; special attention is given in the collection to the subject of the history of cartography, literature on this topic, and facsimile editions of old maps and atlases. The Map Collection comprises about 255,000 maps, 7,000 atlases, and 27 globes. Services, reading rooms, and opening hours are given. Searchable, and available in English and Danish.
• Consider a side trip to Copenhagen - Gateway to Europe, a web version of the exhibition that ran from April 30th to October 10th, 1996 (Arranged by The Royal Arsenal Museum, The Royal Library, and The National Archives)
• The Ryhiner Project: Map collections as memories of the world (Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek, Bern) The Ryhiner map collection consists of more that 15,000 maps, charts, plans, and views from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, covering the entire globe. The site contains a tabular summary of its holdings, digital map archives (which will be expanded in the future), and a catalogue of subjects and mapmakers. The philosophy of the collection, preservation goals, books in preparation, and e-mail contacts are also given.  Excellent links to other library and cartographic resources.  (English and German)
• Utrecht University, Map Collection, Faculty of Geographical Sciences The collection consists of 120,000 single maps and 3,500 atlases; its main purpose is to support the faculty's teaching and research activities. The library also serves as a general reference for scholars from all over the country. The collection centers around maps of the Netherlands and its colonies, and those maps produced by Dutch cartographers. Many early maps are represented by facsimiles, but the collection also possesses about 5,000 maps produced before 1850 -- some quite rare. Opening hours, rules, and e-mail addresses to staff members are given. The collection is also described on the Royal Library page, including catalogue references to the Atlantes Neerlandici.
• A very interesting list of all cartographic calendars is a new addition to the site.
• An interesting list of software products dealing with geography and cartography.
• Roelof P. Oddens is the Head and Map Curator: See his award-winning Oddens's Bookmarks: The Fascinating World of Maps and Mapping (> 6,250 links worldwide and ever increasing, > 90,000 visitors in 1997 and > 75,000 visitors in the first five months of 1998)
• Trinity College Library, Map Library (Dublin) The largest collection of printed maps in Ireland. The collection is especially strong in maps of Ireland and Great Britain, but also includes maps of Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. Contacts, opening hours, and instructions for admission of readers is included on the web site.

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Map Libraries North America

 
• Dalhousie University Libraries, Map Collection, Killam Memorial Library (Halifax, Nova Scotia).  Links under "Canadian Maps" to major collections in Canada by province.
• Hargrett Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at the University of Georgia. A collection of about 800 historical maps spanning nearly 500 years, from the sixteenth century through the early twentieth century, including works of the early cartographers such as Sebastian Munster, Gerard Mercator, and Willem Blaeu. All of these maps are available in digital format, but only a selection are on this site. The University of Georgia Map Collection also has some historical maps and facsimiles.
• Harvard Map Collection This site contains a broad description of the materials available: 400,000 maps, 6,000 atlases, and 5,000 reference books; rare editions of Mercator, Ortelius, and Ptolemaic atlases. Chronological coverage begins in the early 16^th century. Information as to hours, access and on-line catalogue are provided.
• The History of Cartography Project This website describes the interdisciplinary History of Cartography Project at the University of Wisconsin, edited by David Woodward, and published by the University of Chicago Press. Major support for the project is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. Each volume is described and an appropriate image is displayed on the website. The description of the Renaissance volume, which is forthcoming, includes the image of the Cordiform World Map of Oronce Fine (ca.1536).
• James Ford Bell Library This library at the University of Minnesota has quite an array of on-line maps that can be viewed and enlarged. The library has 15,000 rare books, 2,500 maps, and 2,500 manuscripts from 1400-1800 documenting the expansion of Europe. An extensive collection of early maps of Russia can be viewed online. You can browse the entire collection via the on-line catalogue (which is also indexed and searchable). The site also includes the text of Professor David Woodward's lecture The Four Parts of the World: Giovanni Francesco Camocio's Wall Maps, including illustrations (the thirty-fourth annual James Ford Bell Lecture, presented 25 April 1996). Hours, location, staff, and contacts are also included.
• The Library of Congress, Geography and Map Reading Room 4.5 million maps, including 60,000 atlases, 6,000 reference works, dating from fourteenth century portolan charts through recent geographic information systems (GIS) data sets. Opening hours and e-mail address given. American Memory, Map Collections: 1544-1996 is organized by seven categories and is searchable by keyword, with indexes to subject, creator, and geographic location. Map images can be manipulated to fit computer screen, smaller segments can be zoomed in and out.
• Newberry Library, Chicago The website of the Newberry includes an overview of the cartographic collection of some 60,000 maps (half of which predate 1900), supported by extensive holdings in the literature of the history of cartography, cartobibliography, map catalogues, and gazetteers. America and Western Europe has the greatest coverage, but all regions of the earth are well represented. They hold most of the printed atlases since Ptolemy. Special collections for the early modern period include the Novacco Collection of 16^th century maps printed in Italy, the Ayers Collection on the discovery, exploration, and settlement of the Americas, and the Sack Collection of late 17^th and early 18^th century maps of western Europe. Manuscript holdings include portolan charts and atlases of the 15^th and 16^th centuries; fascimiles and microfilm maps complement the collections. Information on fellowhips, contacts and opening hours are given. (Note: They are open on Saturdays, but closed on Sunday and Monday).
• The Herman Dunlop Smith Center for the History of Cartography is also part of the Newberry Library. The site provides and overview research fellowships, lectures, exhibits, and teaching workshops, publications, and newsletters. Many books, posters, facsimiles, exhibit catalogues, and slide sets are available through the center.
• The New York Public Library
• Map Division (NYPL) Celebrating its Centennial in 1998, The New York Public Library has an excellent collection of maps of New York City from the seventeenth century to the present. The Division of Antiquarian Maps has strong holdings from the major early European mapmakers and complementary research materials. Altogether, the Rare Book Division and the Map Division hold some 420,000 maps and 20,000 books and atlases from the sixteenth century to the present.
• The Lawrence H. Slaughter Collection of English Maps, Charts, Globes, Books and Atlases An outstanding collection of English works related to Colonial North America. This collection, which came to The New York Public Library in 1997, contains some 600 maps, 100 atlases, and 50 books that Mr. Slaughter collected over a twenty-year period. As this collection is being processed and cataloged, access may be at times temporarily limited; thus, appointments are recommended. An exhibition is planned for the Fall of 1998 in the Edna Barnes Salomon Room, Center for the Humanities.
• Online version of the exhibit "In thy map securely saile": Maps, Atlases, Charts, and Globes from the Lawrence H. Slaughter Collection
• NYPL Catalogues and Indexes Online access catalogue of the Research Libraries, CATNYP.
• Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education (University of Southern Maine, Portland). The Osher and Smith collections comprise maps, atlases, geographies, and globes from the years 1475 to the present. The combined collections contains approximately 20,000 maps, 1,500 rare books and atlases, 120 globes, 15 early surveying instruments, and over 800 volumes of related works. Original materials are supplemented with facsimile editions. The discovery and exploration of North America is especially well documented. Links to on-line catalogue of the University of Maine System. Matthew H. Edney has also supplied some useful bookmarks: Links for the History of Cartography.
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin. PCL has over 230,00 maps covering every area of the world. Many items are listed in the on-line catalogue. This site has a wealth of current and historical electronic maps, indexed by continent and region as well as an extensive list of other historical map web sites. Information on other collections, hours, contacts, and policies are also given. Very useful.
• University of British Columbia One of the largest map collections in Canada in the main Map Library, manuscript and historical maps are in Special Collections and University Archives; the on-line map catalogue includes maps housed in the Map Library as well as Special Collections; hours, and access information.
• The University of California Berkeley, Earth Science & Map Library: Map Collection. The largest collection of maps in northern California, and one of the largest university map collections in the United States with over 360,000 maps in its collection. Originals for 20^th century and facsimile maps for earlier maps cover all areas of the world. See also the Bancroft Library for rare books and manuscripts (electronic searching, hours, and contacts). .
• Yale University Map Library Over 200,000 maps sheet, 3,000 atlases (most pre-19th century atlases are housed in the Beinecke Rare Books Library), and 900 references. Images of many of the pre-1850 maps are available online. Opening hours, guidelines, and contacts given.
• Description of the Collections
• On-Line Catalogue
• The Lanman Collection of Globes Fifteen fascinating globes, along with descriptions, are avalable online (from the collection of Dr. Jonathan Lanman).
• The Lanman Collection of Maps Many early modern examples are available online, including maps by Sylvanus, Munster, Thevet, Ortelius, Mercator, Speed, Blaeu.
• Other Antiquarian Maps Online A clickable diagram of the continents leads to more examples of early modern maps, including world maps.
• The Lada-Mocarski Collection Many early maps of Russia, spheres, globes, and more -- a very interesting collection.
• Historic City Maps (European and American Cities)

Other Collections at Yale: Beinecke Rare Books & Yale Center for British Art

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What's New in Old Maps

One of the most recent discoveries in Early Modern cartography is an additional section of the Copperplate Map of London (ca 1553-1559), found in Germany in March 1998 on the reverse of an oil painting. Previously only two of the estimated 15 plates had been found. The third plate is now on display at the Museum of London. If you can't go to London to see it, however, click here to see a version on the MapHist Illustration Page, along with the full text of the newspaper article (from the NRC Handelsblad of 31 March 1998, in Dutch) and Peter van der Krogt's summary (in English) describing the find.

Oddens's Bookmarks: The Fascinating World of Maps and Mapping Nearly every website that deals with maps will refer its viewers to Oddens's Bookmarks at some point, and for good reason: Roelof Oddens of the University of Utrecht has more than 6,250 links (and counting) indexed on this site -- ranging from the ancient to the modern, the local to the universal. Oddens updates this page every day or two, adds new links, and lists them by date added to allow for easy review. Of particular interest to EMLS readers will be Maps and Atlases - Old.

MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography An excellent resource for exchanging ideas. An illustration page enhances the discussion and a searchable CD-ROM is available of archived discussions.

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Books

 

The Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem Amsterdam lawyer Laurens van der Hem (1621-1678) used Blaeu's Atlas Maior as the basis for an ambitious collection of maps and topographical drawings. He augmented Blaeu's work with over 1800 maps, charts, architectural prints, townscapes, and portraits, to compile a unique forty-six volume atlas now held at the Austrian National Library in Vienna. This site provides a description of the first of a five-volume complete catalogue of the Atlas Blaeu-van der Hem, a brief history of the book's ownership, and a summary of the competition in the productions of atlases in the seventeenth century.

British Library Cartographic Publications Available through the British Library Bookshop (e-mail address given).

Globi Neerlandici: The Production of Globes in the Low Countries A summary of Peter van der Krogt's book (1993). The summary is translated from the dissertation version (University of Utrecht, 1989) and offers an abbreviated history of globe making.

HES Publishers BV History of Cartography titles.

Koeman's Atlantes Neerlandici, New Edition. Compiled by Peter van der Krogt. This site describes the production of C. Koeman's six-volume bibliography of terrestrial, maritime, and celestial atlases and pilot books published in the Netherlands up to 1880 (1967-1985) as well as the process of updating this work in ten volumes, to be completed by 2006. The scope of each of the ten volumes is enumerated. The discussion "What is an atlas?" is particularly interesting.

Literature from the Map History/History of Cartography Page, compiled by Tony Campbell, Map Librarian, British Library.  Includes a fine list of "books to get you into the subject," general bilbiographies, biographical dictionaries, and works on theory and interpretation.

Map Collector Publications Search for books by subject or continent.

Mercator's World Bookshop A good selection of postcards, books, and accessories for antique map lovers (magnifiers, miniature globes, address books). Includes some items from the British Library and the Huntington Library as well as classics in the history of cartography.

University of Chicago Press: books in cartography and geography The most recent books in the field from the University of Chicago Press, with links to other parts of their catalogue.

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Exhibitions

 

• Cartography - Calendar of Exhibitions This calendar is updated regularly by John W. Docktor.
• Awestruck by the Majesty of the Heavens: Artistic Perspectives from the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, History of Astronomy Collection A fine collection of celestial maps with explanatory essay, thumbnails, larger maps, and closeup detail maps. This exhibit ran 18 January through 23 March 1997 at the Chicago Cultural Center and was curated by Anna Felicity Friedman of the Adler. A 40-page printed catalogue with 12 color plates and 20 black and white plates (some not shown in the virtual site) is also available through the site (on the Credits, Copyright & Communications page).
• Bodleian Library Map Case Gallery of Images (Oxford) A selection of nine maps from the Bodleian Library Map Room. Thumbnails are clickable to full-sized images that you can view and download for personal use.
• Cartes des Ameriques dans les Collections de la Bibliotheque Royale Albert I (Brussels) This page originated in an exhibition that ran from 13 November to 31 December 1992. It includes sections on maps of 1) The World and the Americas (Ptolemy, Frederick de Wit, Ortelius, Mercator, and Blaeu); 2) South and Central America (Coronelli, Doncker, Blaeu, and some eighteenth century maps); 3) North America (with few early maps displayed but many discussed, a happy exception being Braun and Hogenberg's map of Mexico City). Each of the three sections has a list of relevant maps leading to longer discussions, some with thumbnails leading to multi-screen JPEG images and informative explanations. An excellent introduction and bibliography of scholarly articles on each of the maps is provided by Hossam Elkhadem, the Head of the Section des Cartes et Plans. (The exhibition material is in French; the library site itself is available in a choice of Dutch, English, or French).
• Heritage Map Museum Viewing Gallery Many antiquarian maps are displayed on this gallery attached to a commercial site. (Note: a recent disk crash (6/1/98) has temporarily reduced the number of images available.
• "In thy map securely saile": Maps, Atlases, Charts, and Globes from the Lawrence H. Slaughter Collection. An online version of the exhibition on view at The New York Public Library, Fifth Ave and 42nd Street, from October 24, 1998 through March 20, 1999.  The exhibit focuses on the 17th- and 18th-century exploration and development of the "New World."  The site includes a complete exhibition checklist of 100 items along with web images of 20 of the items.  Wonderful!
• Jerusalem in Old Maps and Views Hosted by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this site traces the long succession of maps of Israel and Jerusalem. Focusing on the centrality of Jerusalem in religion, cartography, and imagination, this is a wonderful on-line resource for those interested in the evolution of mapping and the development of this city. Includes mosaics, parchment scrolls, manuscript, psalter, and printed maps that depict Jerusalem and its surroundings schematically, symbolically, pictorially, and imaginatively, depending on the particular purpose for which the map was made.
• Mapping the Earth and the Heavens: The Art of the Mapmaker (British Library) An online exhibit of several maps from ancient to modern times that were part of a major exhibition in 1995 that traced the history of some of the challenges of determining the shape of the earth and the cosmos. The exhibition was comprised of more than one hundred maps, books, and artefacts; it detailed the progress of scientific knowledge, art, mythology, and symbolism in reconciling man's relationship to the world and the universe. The books listed for further reading give an excellent sense of the exhibit as a whole, which I was fortunate in being able to see.
• Maps of Spain from the Enggass Collection, Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education. This exhibit traces the cartographic history of Iberia from 1486 to 1829. A wonder ful online version of the exhibit at the University of Southern Maine, from 2 September 1998 to 13 February 1999. Forty-five maps in gif and JPEG format displayed and described. Maps by Waldseemüller, Ortelius, Hondius, Speed, Waghenaer, deWit, Seller, Blaeu, and Robert Dudley are among the maps of the early modern period represented here.  An excellent resource.
• Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education "Africa: A Continet Revealed," A Traveling Exhibit at the Osher Map Library from January 24^thto May 17^th, 1998 (a checklist of the maps on exhibit as well as the owners (many of the early maps are from the collection of Michael B. Toth).
• Out of This World: The Golden Age of the Celestial Atlas (Linda Hall Library, Kansas City, Missouri) An exquisite site containing forty-three star atlases and maps from the period 1482 to 1851. Includes maps from the "grand" celestial atlas Uranometria by Johan Bayer (1603) and parts of Andreas Cellarius's monumental Harmonia macrocosmica (1661). 116 web pages, thumbnails (50-60 KB) and high resolution images (150-250 KB), many in color. Very interesting text.

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Events, Lectures, Conferences & Meetings
[external link maintained by John W. Docktor] [top] 

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Map Societies
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Journals

 

 Cartographica Helvetica: Journal on the History of Cartography

This journal, published by the working group of the History of Cartography of the Swiss Society of Cartography, is a German language publication with summaries available online in English, French, and German. A few recent articles of interest:

Volume 17, January 1998

• Heinz, Markus  und Cornelia Reiter: "Asiae descriptio" und Jüngstes Gericht - Beispiel für die Zweitverwendung einer Kupferplatte von Ortelius. ["Asiae descriptio" and the Last Judgement Summary]
• Kupcík, Ivan : Handgezeichnete Kopie der Apian-Karte von Bayern des Dominicus Franciscus Calin (um 1661). [Manuscript copy of the Apian Map of Bavaria, drawn by Dominicus Franciscus Calin (around 1661) Summary]

Volume 16, July 1997

• Meurer, Peter H.: Eine Rechnung für eine Kartenlieferung des Hauses Fugger an Alonso de Santa Cruz von 1546. [Invoice for a map delivery by the Fugger trading company, 1546 Summary]
• Sieber-Lehmann, Claudius: Albrecht von Bonstettens geographische Darstellung der Schweiz. [The first geographical description of Switzerland by Albrecht von Bonstetten, 1479 Summary]

Volume 15, January 1997

• Dürst, Arthur: Die Planvedute der Stadt Zürich von Jos Murer, 1576. [Town plan of Zurich from Jos Murer, 1576 Summary]
• Eisenstein, Herbert: Islamische Weltkarten des 16. Jahrhunderts. [Islamic world maps of the 16th century Summary]

Volumes 13 & 14, 1996

• Dorffner, Lionel: Der digitale Behaim-Globus - Visualisierung und Vermessung des historisch wertvollen Originals. Volltext (Deutsch) [Summary]
• Meurer, Peter H.: Cartographica in den Frankfurter Messekatalogen Georg Willers von 1564 bis 1592. Beiträge zur kartographiegeschichtlichen Quellenkunde I. [Cartographica in the Frankfurt fair catalogues from 1564 until 1592 by Georg Willer Summary]

Volumes 11 & 12, 1995

• Milz, Joseph: Der Duisburger Stadtplan von 1566 des Johannes Corputius und seine Vermessungsgrundlagen. Summary
• Strübin Rindisbacher, Johanna: Vermessungspläne von Joseph Plepp (1595-1642), dem bernischen Werkmeister, Maler und Kartenverfasser. Summary
• Grosjean, Georges: Karte des bernischen Staatsgebietes 1638 von Joseph Plepp. Summary
• McIntosh, Gregory C.: Christoph Kolumbus und die Piri-Re'is-Karte von 1513. Summary
• Krogt, Peter van der: Das Plenilunium des Michael Florent van Langren. Die erste Mondkarte mit Namenseinträgen. Summary

Caert-Thresoor: Journal for the history of cartography in the Netherlands

Caert-Thresoor has been published four times per year since 1981; the language of the publication is Dutch with summaries available in English. The web site lists contents and summaries from 1995-1998 in Dutch and English
Articles of interest to readers of EMLS from 1998 (Vol 17, no. 1):

• Jan Werner, Vier eeuwen terug in de tijd: een terugblik op het jaar 1598 [Four centuries back in time: a retrospective view on the year 1598] (pp. 1-3) (English summary).
• Lenny Veltman, Een atlas in pocketformaat: Den Nederlandtschen Landtspiegel van Zacharias Heyns [A pocket atlas: Den Nederlandtschen Landtspiegel by Zacharias Heyns] (pp.11-17) (English summary).

1997 (Vol 16, nos. 1-4):

• Ronald Sluijter, Johannes Dou (1615-1682), landmeter van Rijnland [Johannes Dou (1615-1682): surveyor of the Water Board of Rijnland] (pp. 1-9) (English summary).
• Joost Augusteijn, De plattegronden van Nederlandse steden uitgegeven door Covens en Mortier [The Dutch town plans published by Covens and Mortier] (pp.11-17) (English summary).
• Rienk Vermij, Nederlandse wereldkaarten en het stelsel van Copernicus in de 17de eeuw [Dutch world-maps and the Copernican system in the seventeenth century] (pp. 33-40) (English summary)
• H.A.M. van der Heijden, Een Spaans lesje in Nederlandse historische kartografie [A Spanish lesson in Dutch history of cartography] (pp. 42-43) (English summary)
• Henk van der Heijden, Het oudste kaartje van het Hertogdom Brabant? [The oldest map of the Duchy of Brabant] (pp. 67-69). (English summary)
• Anton Berkhemer, De Spaanse Atlas Mayor van Blaeu: nieuwe gegevens [The Spanish Atlas Mayor by Blaeu: New data] (pp. 71-76). (English summary)
• W.E. Penning, Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode en de plattegrondjes in het Theatrum van Boxhorn [Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode and the town plans in Boxhorn's Theatrum] (pp. 85-87). (English summary)
• Eric Schliesser, Van Nierops paskaart van Europa in een rapport van Christiaan Huygens [Van Nierop's chart of Europe in a report of Christaan Huygens] (pp. 93-95). (English summary)
• Jet Pijzel-Domisse, Wie herkent de kaarten uit de miniatuur boekjes van een 17de-eeuws poppenhuis? [Who identifies the maps out of miniature-books from a 17^th-century doll's house?] (pp. 93-95). (English summary)

[Contents and Summaries 1996] [Contents and Summaries 1995]

 

Imago Mundi: The International Journal for the History of Cartography

Solely concerned with the study of early maps, articles in Imago Mundi are in English, with tri-lingual abstracts in the printed volumes. Illustrated, with reference sections on current developments in the field, book reviews, bibliography, and a chronicle of news in the past year (exhibitions, meetings, acquisitons) from 25 national representatives. Published annually, subscription and submission information provided. The web site lists tables of contents of volumes 34 through 50 (1993-1998).
 

The following articles from the current issue (Vol 50) may be of particular interest to EMLS readers:

• Catherine Delano Smith, Editorial (marking the 50th volume, looking back and "looking around" at changes in the journal and in cartographic scholarship. Link to full text of the editorial)
• Barbara E. Mundy. Mapping the Aztec Capital: The 1524 Nuremberg Map of Tenochtitlan, Its Sources and Meanings. p.11- Abstract
• Kirsten A. Seaver. Norumbega and Harmonia Mundi in Sixteenth-Century Cartography. p.34- Abstract
• Giorgio Mangani. Abraham Ortelius and the Hermetic Meaning of the Cordiform Projection. p.59- Abstract

Articles from Volume 49:

• John Norden (c.1547-1625): Estate Surveyor, Topographer, County Mapmaker and Devotional Writer. Frank Kitchen. Vol. 49, p.43, Abstract.
• The Environs Map: Vienna and Its Surroundings c.1600-c.1850. Jan Mokre. Vol. 49, p.90, Abstract

Articles from Volume 48:

• David Turnbull, "Cartography and Science in Early Modern Europe: Mapping the Construction of Knowledge Spaces." Abstract
• Evelyn Edson, "World Maps and Easter Tables: Medieval Maps in Context." Abstract
• Marica Milanesi, "A Forgotten Ptolemy: Harley Codex 3686 in the British Library." Abstract
• Lilian Armstrong, "Benedetto Bordon, 'Miniator', and Cartography in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice." Abstract
• Tony Campbell, "Egerton MS 1513: A Remarkable Display of Cartographic Invention." Abstract
• Brigitte Englisch, "Erhard Etzlaub's Projection and Methods of Mapping." Abstract
• Francesca Fiorani "Post-Tridentine 'Geographia Sacra'. The Galleria delle Carte Geografiche in the Vatican Palace." Abstract

Selected Papers from the 16th International Conference on the History of Cartography (Vienna, 1995):

• Peter Van Der Krogt, "Amsterdam Atlas Production in the 1630s: A Bibliographer's Nightmare." Abstract
• Matthew H. Edney, "Theory and the History of Cartography." Abstract
• Christian Jacob, "Towards a Cultural History of Cartography." Abstract
• Catherine Delano Smith, "Why Theory in the History of Cartography?" Abstract

Map Collector Magazine Back Issues

Published between 1977 and 1996. All issues are available (74 issues were published) except 12, 13, 18, 22, 25, 28. Some issues deeply discounted.

MapForum.Com: A Periodical for Antique Map Collectors

The lovely inaugural issue of MapForum.Com appeared January 1999.  This online journal seeks to appeal to the novice as well as the experienced collector.  The current issue includes a "beginner's guide" entitled "The Joy of Maps," a biography of John Ogilby, an article on "The Earliest Atlases," a collation of a Lafreri/IATO Atlas, and an auction report.
 

Mercator's World, The Magazine of Maps, Exploration, and Discovery

An on-line version of the print journal with the full table of contents and several feature articles online from each issue, and archives back to 1996 (Volume 1). The site is searchable and includes interesting links. You can also subscribe to the printed journal on line or order gifts and books from the Mercator's World Marketplace.
Several articles from recent issues might be of interest to EMLS readers (links are to the full texts of the articles at Mercator's World):

• The Female Landscape by Darby Lewes  An overview of somatotopic maps and their ideological underpinnings.
• "The Topography of the Sky: Celestial Maps Gave Order to the Universe" by Peter Whitfield An excellent history of celestial mapping. (Peter Whitfield's book The Mapping of the Heavens is available through the Marketplace Bookshop).
• "The Age of Unreason: Cartographic Blunders of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries" by Derek Nelson The inaccuracy of early maps that is attributable to primitive tools and printing techniques, lack of knowledge, and dependence on second-hand accounts are overshadowed by wishful thinking, superstition, and myth in this essay.
• "Albertin de Virga and the Far North" by Kirsten A. Seaver The Virga map has been missing since 1932; here, a historian examines the map's history and speculates on what the map depicted in its northwestern corner.
• "The Todhunter-Allen Collection" by Pamela Dryburgh A discussion of the collection of 10,000 maps in 1,000 volumes amassed by George Eldred Holmes Allen and Hugh Todhunter, donated to the Bodleian Library in 1987. Work is now being undertaken to catalogue the collection and to publish an index to it (it was partially catalogued by Allen). County atlases, county maps, and maps of England and Wales are highlights of the collection.

The Portolan

The Journal of the Washington Map Society.  The site contains contents for Issues 1-43 (1984-1999), contacts for subscriptions and back issues.

British Library Journal

Special cartographic issue. Volume 22 / Number 1 / Spring 1996: "Images and Icons of the New World: Essays on American Cartography," Edited by Karen Severud Cook.

More Journals

A listing by subject and location within the topics of geography and cartography, beyond those of historical scope listed above. (Geosource web site, maintained by Jeroen Bosman of the Library Centre Uithof  (BCU), Utrecht University,  The Netherlands.

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On-line Discussion
[external link to MapHist e-mail discussion group in the history of Cartography, maintained by Peter van der Krogt]

 
Fellowships, Prizes & Awards 
[external link to Map History site maintained by Tony Campbell]

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Other Sites of Interest

 

• Miscellaneous essays on antique maps, their printing, and the implications of distribution of maps on the Internet
• Personal web sites with map links or scanned images
• Essays on browsing; primer on using the World Wide Web
• Image Gallery of Antiquarian Maps

• Antique Maps and Prints: How They Were Printed A good introduction to early printing methods (woodcuts, line engraving, etching) with a list of some terms found on the face of antique maps.
• Beginners' Central For novices to the World Wide Web, Northern Webs provides individual learning units from getting started, to searching, bookmarking, saving graphics, and downloading programs. Sections on e-mail, usenet groups, FTP, Telnet, and more.
• Bibliography: Scholarship on Mappaemundi and Early Printed World Maps An excellent bibliography complied by Dr. Andrew Gow and Dr. Jolanta Pekacz (Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta).
• Cartography and the Internet: Implications for Modern Cartography by Michael P. Peterson. Besides delivering on its promise to discuss modern implications, this paper also offers a good introduction to the Internet, including a primer, FAQs, and glossary of web terms.
• Cartographic Images This page, maintained as part of Jim Siebold's homepage, displays many ancient and medieval maps and describes many more. Unfortunately because of the lack of a sponsor, the Renaissance Map Images have recently been dropped; many excellent medieval images are available, however.
• Collage: An new image database containing 20,000 works from the Guildhall Library and Guildhall Art Gallery London that includes 371 maps of London of all vintages. The site is searchable and equiped with shopping basket technology for ordering prints. Maps by Braun and Hogenberg, Ralph Agas, John Norden, and others.
• Discoverers Web A comprehensive collection of links dealing with voyages of discovery and exploration. Organized by country of origin, destination, and explorer. Maintained by Andre Engels of the Technical University Eindhoven (TEU), the Netherlands.
• Glossary of Cartographic Terms The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, The University of Texas at Austin. Very useful.
• Historic Maps of Dutch Cartographers This site is part of the home page of George M. Welling, assistant professor at Groningen University. It features thirty-five Dutch city maps from Blaeu's Toonneel der Steden (1652); Janssonius's map of the Netherlands (1658) available in super JPEG format with separate details of the modern provinces; several images from Jacob Aertsz Colom's De Vyerighe Colom, and images from Braun and Hogenberg. Images are available in gif and JPEG formats.
• How to Use Web Search Engines ("The Spider's Apprentice") Useful tips for beginner and intermediate searchers.
• Links for the History of Cartography by Matthew Edney, University of Southern Maine. Includes on-line library catalogues, books, exhibitions, interactive maps, and general academic sites. An on-line exhibition on The Columbus Letter may be of interest to EMLS readers.
• Lycos Image Gallery of Antiquarian Maps As the name implies, this site is an image gallery -- with little text. Thumbnail maps lead to nice enlargements, identified by mapmaker, date, and subject. Maps by Johannes Blaeu, Geroge Braun and Fran Hogenberg, John Speed, Claudius Ptolemy, John Norden, Jan Jansson, Waghenaer, Jodocus Hondius, Christopher Saxton, Humphrey Lloyd, Theodore de Bry, and Jan Baptist Vrients. Unfortunately the images and organization of the site changes rather frequently (as they did while I was organizing these links). Click below for specific section, or click on "Lycos Image Gallery" (above) to browse the entire site.

Africa | Americas | Asia | Australia | Europe | United States | World
• Mercator Publications: The Mercator Years 1994 and 1995: A Review A bibliography (from Caert-Thresoor, 1996) provided by Peter van der Krogt of papers presented in celebration of the 400^th anniversary of the publication of Mercator's Atlas.
• Odden's Bookmarks: The Fascinating World of Maps and Mapping More than 5,000 links to map websites dealing with every kind of map imaginable. Excellent links.
• Origins of the Compass Rose Symbology A brief essay on the subject by Bill Thoen.
• Jan Vermeer paintings that feature maps & globes
• The Artist in His Studio / Le peintre dans son atelier
• The Astronomer / L'Astronome
•  The Geographer / Le Geographe

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Tips for Finding Early Modern Cartographic Resources on the World Wide Web: Working Within the Net

1. It seems odd to talk about how to find maps on the World Wide Web, a place that is in effect "no place" -- a "space" that has its home in cyber-space. Be that as it may, there are plenty of maps of all kinds on the World Wide Web. The purpose of this essay is to discuss basic web search strategies and to relate some suggestions for finding specific cartographic resources of a historic or antiquarian nature on the Web.
2. Many of us are adept at entering a web address, following links within that site to another site, and to another, and perhaps even finding our way back to where we started, but have not ventured beyond the confines of such web links -- beyond the point where, in Medieval maps, at least, "there be dragons." Some of those dragons, I suspect, are the "terminology dragons" relating to the Web itself. We hardly know a "browser" from a "search engine," a "crawler" from a "robot" or a "spider." When others talk of hyperlinks, our eyes glaze over; when others talk of surfing the web, we shudder at the thought of getting our feet wet.
3. For those who have never browsed the Web to any significant extent, for those who came to EMLS with URL (Uniform Resource Locator, or web address) firmly in hand and a stolid resolve to stray no further (but who might nevertheless change their minds), and for those who want to understand (in a rudimentary way, at least) how it all works, I would suggest looking first at the primer at Beginners' Central, especially the first and second chapters. For more background on the Internet, go to Michael P. Peterson's site on Cartography and the Internet, especially section I, "The Internet," and his link to a glossary of web terms.

Search Engines

4. Elsewhere, EMLS has provided a brief description of the major search engines. Another site, The Spider's Apprentice, provides useful information on how search engines actually work; this information can help you in planning your search. Searches can become frustrating when the search engine returns too many, too few, irrelevant, or low quality resources. The key is narrowing the search and, I fear, being patient. Think carefully about keywords before entering them for a search. I have found, for example, that "antique maps" and "antiquarian maps" have netted better results than "renaissance maps." For the topic of early modern cartographic materials, I have had the best results using Lycos and Alta Vista (especially recently). It is also quite worthwhile to learn how to do advanced or refined searches within your search engine(s) of choice (and this information is available on each search engine's web site). Narrow your search when possible with relevant information such as specific area (town, county, province) or mapmaker's name. On the subject of cartography, about which a great deal of information already exists on the world wide web, starting with someone else's links, especially someone like Roelof Oddens or Tony Campbell, is another solution. Some of these web sites are provided here, others will be uncovered in your own searches.

Bookmarks (also known as "favorites")

5. When you find a web site to which you think you will want to return some day, add it to you bookmark file. If your browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc) offers the option of organizing your bookmarks, and of naming bookmarks yourself, by all means do it. Naming files yourself will reduce the confusion later when you've saved several files that your browser has named simply "map collection"; instead, give these links more specific names: "maps-bl" will probably be enough to remind you that this link is to the British Library Map Collection. If you're on the web very often, and particularly if you're on it for various purposes, you'll want to keep your bookmarks organized in separate files: beds and breakfasts that you're investigating for your next holiday would be in a different file from maps links, or friends' personal web sites. Think of your bookmarks like the yellow pages of your phone directory or like the subject index of a library.

Change and the difference it makes

6. Having just sung the praises of bookmarks, I must now deliver the caveat (and it is an important one) that bookmarks change; in fact, on the Web, everything changes, and it changes all the time. People, companies, libraries, universities, departments, and other URLs move without warning and sometimes without giving forwarding addresses. Often when this happens, a message will appear to the effect that the link you have followed is outdated, or that the address simply doesn't exist (once in a while these messages have a rather accusatory tone). Sometimes, too, you blithely return to a site that you found interesting and the contents of the site have changed -- changed utterly. This is disappointing and frustrating; to those of use who are used to doing research with conventional media, it is unprecedented. While I was working on this piece, for example, one web site took down the antiquarian map images of Ireland upon which I'd come to depend. I'm afraid there's not much we can do about these changes; the medium of the web simply encourages the constant refining that people do to web sites.

Waiting, especially for images

7. Waiting for images to load can be frustrating and time-consuming. One browser's advertisement addresses this problem by suggesting that you raid the refrigerator (or presumably, subscribe to its services in order to avoid having to do this). The speed (or baud rate) at which your modem operates has much to do with the speed of loading images, but the volume of traffic on the web at any given time is also a factor in downloading time. Sometimes the remaining loading time or percent of completion and speed of transfer is given (e.g. 43% of 26K at 423 bytes/sec); this is useful information in determining whether to raid the refrigerator, fix a cup of tea, or go out for a walk. It can be very confusing, however, when a site has several images and the percentage of completion is given for each of these images. One solution to the problem of waiting is to open another copy of your web browser simultaneously (in most browsers this is accomplished by pulling down the "file" menu and selecting something like "new web browser" or "new window" from the list of choices). You can also work in other programs (word processing, e-mail, etc.) while waiting for a file to load. And try to do your searching at times when the Web has less traffic.

Kinds of images

8. Many web sites, especially those trafficking in pictures, portraits, exhibits, and maps, will display small images (called thumbnails), on which you can click in order to enlarge to a more useful size. Thumbnails load faster and give you a notion of whether you even want to look at an image in any detail before investing the loading time that the larger images take. Simple graphic images are known as "gif" (graphic interchange format) files; these are usually flatter-looking images (frequently of only one or two colors -- arrows, balls, and other little icons that appear on web sites are usually of this type). Larger, more detailed, or more complicated images are known as "JPEG files"; JPEG is simply an acronym for the group that developed the process behind these digitized images -- the Joint Photographic Experts Group. For analogy purposes, the difference between gif and JPEG files might be compared to producing an image on a copy machine versus producing an image with a four-color printing process. JPEG files take much longer to load. For an example of the difference between gif and JPEG images, compare the loading times of gif image of Breda (614 X 480 pixels) to a JPEG version of the same image (2472 X 1932 pixels -- both images are from Historic Maps of Dutch Cartographers). On my computer, the gif file took a little less than three minutes and the JPEG image took nearly seven.

To save or capture an image

9. If you want to save or capture an image, you can position your cursor over the image and click the right mouse button. You may be given the options to "Save Image As . . ." or to "Set as Wallpaper." Save the image as you would any other file, but as with the bookmarks, you may want to name it yourself (the name supplied may be numbers, for example, that will be of little use to you later when you want to retrieve it from your saved file). Setting the image as wallpaper works in windows programs and makes the image you are viewing the wallpaper behind your desktop screen. If you're considering doing either of these, however, you need to make sure that copyright restrictions do not limit such action. Some sites have the copyright information at the bottom, or in a separate link, but some sites require that you "click in" your agreement to copyright restrictions as a condition of entering the web site (in the case of the Bodleian Library) or as you look at each image (as in The History of Cartography Project).

An Overview of the links provided in this site

10. Map Libraries: This section provides links to some of the finest maps libraries in the world, but it is by no means exhaustive. In particular, I have attempted to include libraries whose early modern map collections are substantial and I have tried to provide helpful links to prospective researchers as to the scope and strength of collections, opening hours, regulations, and contacts, so that they might plan their research trips. I also included libraries whose online resources (catalogues and exhibitions) are useful to remote users. I have also indicated the language(s) used on these sites.
11. Exhibitions: Here, I have provided links to a number of exhibitions that are currently available online, and have also provided a link to the site of John W. Docktor, who maintains a comprehensive web site on the subject.
12. Fellowships, Prizes, and Awards: I have deferred to Tony Campbell, Map Librarian at the British Library, who keeps an updated list as part of the Map History web site.
13. Journals: Journals listed are those which are either published online or which publish tables of contents, abstracts, summaries, or indexes online.
14. Books: Books listed are those that can either be read online (in whole or in part) or can be ordered online directly from academic publishers.
15. Map Societies: A link is provided to a comprehensive list of societies worldwide.
16. "On-line Discussion": This link is to the MapHist discussion list, which is moderated by Peter van der Krogt, of the University of Utrecht. As a participant on this list, I can attest that it is a very interesting (and very busy) list. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
17. What's New in Old Maps: This site provides information on new discoveries of old maps.
18. Other Sites of Interest: Links are given to personal web sites, essays on various apsects of map production and history, sites dealing with using the World Wide Web, and other sites that may be of interest to EMLS readers.

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I would like thank Richard Helgerson and Joanne Woolway for asking me to develop this web resource. I would also like to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Roelof P. Oddens, of the University of Utrecht, whom I have never met, but whose web site has provided me with a starting point for my own quest for early modern cartographic resources on the world wide web. When I first landed on his page he had ">1,900 links"; he now has ">6,250 links" and this number increases every couple of days. His links to old maps and to map libraries have been indispensable to me; those links led to other links, which led to other links, and so on. Sometimes I've felt like I was truly tangled in a web of my own creation, but I hope that others will find the links that I have provided useful, and that you will let me know of other sites as you find them.
 
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