I became interested in maps during my undergraduate research in history at the University of Texas, forty years ago. I merely wanted to bring together, in one place, all of the scattered bits of information relating to each map that I have found through canvassing various libraries from California to Great Britain to Japan. (It is an enigma to me how any author/publisher could tease their readers with such omissions.) Therefore, what started out as an attempt to establish an annotated set of slides on curious old maps, has grown to its present form. Conversely, I often would find fascinatingly curious maps that contained, at best, only an accompanying caption, but little or no written background on its history, relative significance, and/ or explanation of the legends, curious cartouches, figures, imaginary geography, etc.

The original motivation for these monographs came out of my frustration when, after reading about a significant and/or curious cartographic work, I could not find an accompanying illustration of the map in question. The numbering system that is employed corresponds to the set of 35 mm photographic slide transparencies that originally accompanied each volume these slides have now been transferred to digital format. Each monograph is arranged somewhat chronologically according to the date of either the “author”/cartographer/printer, and/or, especially in the case of unknown authorship, the actual or estimated date of the work itself as determined by various recognized scholars in the field of cartographic history. The selection of particular cartographic works was purely a personal one, based more upon the map’s aesthetic appeal than any other criteria although the more one knows of their history, the more certain maps take added interest and aesthetic appeal due to their particular, or relative, significance. Also additional monographs address particular themes on maps such as cities, real and imaged creatures, ships, Antipodes, etc. to 1300 AD.) the third, the Late Medieval period (1300 to 1500) and the fourth, the Renaissance period (1500 to 1800). to 400 AD.) the second one, the Early Medieval period (400 AD. The first one covers selected cartographic works from Antiquity (6,200 B.C. Each of these sections contain monographs that elaborate on, and illustrate maps from, four distinct periods of history. This is a revised and expanded version of my original web site established in 1994 and hosted by the generosity of Henry Davis Consulting.

Tuesday (5.30 / 17:30 UK BST )This web site presents four time periods that describe selected cartographic efforts in the form of monographs.

Remapping and place naming in ‘Beautiful Dachau’ The adventures and speculations of the ingenious Peter Perez Burdett Please send an email to if you wish to join the mailing list. Tuesday 22 November 2022 (5.30pm / 17:30 UK GMT)įor joining instructions, please send an email to a few days before the seminar. Cambridge Seminars in the History of Cartography 2022 - 2023 Programme

Mapping time cartographica