The Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography offers a variety of programs, including lectures, conferences, workshops, seminars, institutes, fellowships, and occasional exhibitions. These activities advance the study of the history of cartography and promote the use of the Newberry’s extensive cartographic collections by a diverse constituency of scholars, teachers, and the general public.
Held every two or three years since 1966, the Kenneth Nebenzahl, Jr., Lectures bring together scholars from a wide variety of fields for a series of lectures examining emerging themes in the history of cartography. The Newberry also hosts the Chicago Map Society Meetings. Founded in 1976, this independent society of map enthusiasts is the oldest such society in North America. See Exhibitions on the History of Cartography for more on digital and gallery exhibitions at the Newberry.
The Smith Center frequently organizes summer institutes and seminars for K-12 teachers or college and university faculty, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Summer scholars participating in these programs explore themes in the history of cartography and related fields through programs of lectures, reading, seminar discussion, and research. Learn more about NEH Summer Programs. Center staff also lead workshops in map study under in collaboration with the Newberry’s Programs for Teachers.