The Hermon Dunlap Smith Center
for the History of Cartography

The Hermon Dunlap Smith Center, founded in 1972, supports the mission of the Newberry Library as it relates to the field of the history of cartography. The Center seeks to advance knowledge of the history of cartography, defined as the history of creation, use, and interpretation of maps and the relationship between mapping and other facets of human history. The Center promotes the use of the Library’s cartographic collections by scholars, educators, and the general public through conferences, exhibitions, fellowships, institutes, lectures, publications, seminars, consultations, and workshops.

Lectures and Conferences

• The Kenneth Nebenzahl, Jr., Lectures in the History of Cartography. The 16th Series will be held 8–10 November 2007. Information about registration, accommodations, and the meeting of the Society for the History of Discoveries may be found here.

Seminars

• Developing Cartographic Literacy with Historic Maps. A NEH Summer Seminar for School Teachers, from 16 July to 3 August 2007. The application deadline has passed and all applicants have been notified of the results. Please visit the Newberry’s Teacher Programs' website for other opportunities available at the Library for school teachers.

Virtual Exhibitions

• Mapping the French Empire in North America. Based on selections from our 1991 exhibit and exhibit catalog of the same name.
• Maps and Nations, 1998 and Maps and Nations, 1999. Exhibits prepared by participants in our 1998 and 1999 Maps and Nations Summer Seminars.
• Narratives and Maps. Based on the exhibit prepared to accompany the Thirteenth Kenneth Nebenzahl, Jr., Lectures in the History of Cartography (October 1999).
• Popular Cartography. Exhibits prepared by particpants in our 2004 Reading Popular Cartography Summer Institute.

Click here for information on exhibits that have appeared in the Newberry’s exhibit galleries.

Resources for Teaching with Historic Maps

• Historic Maps in K-12 Classrooms. A free on-line resource for teaching the geographical dimensions of American History, featuring lesson plans based on supplied images and texts from the Newberry’s collections.
• Lesson Plans for Grades K-12. In addition to our Historic Maps in K-12 Classrooms site, we work with participants in our seminars and institutes to produce individual map-based lesson plans.
• College and University Level Courses. Professors share their ideas for using historic maps through their reading lists and class assignments, plus reviews of websites with significant cartographic resouces.

Mapline and our other Publications

• Mapline. Our newsletter, published trianually. Selections are available for on-line viewing.
• Slide Sets. Each printed set contains six slides of Newberry materials with accompanying commentary by cartography scholars; many are now available as virtual sets. Our new virtual slide sets offer the descriptions and commentary of our printed sets, in an on-line format.
• Exhibit Catalogs. Commentary and high quality reproductions of some of the Newberry’s best cartographic exhibits.
• Occasional Publications. A wide range of carto-bibliographies and map finding aids, map facsimilies, and moderate-length original studies in the history of cartography.
• Nebenzahl Lectures: Collected Published Lectures. Essay collections inspired by our popular Nebenzahl Lectures series.
• Posters & Facsimilies. Beautiful full-color momentos of some of our best exhibits.

The Cartographic Collections at the Newberry Library

• Guide to the Maps and History of Cartography collections. Please direct inquiries about our holdings to reference@newberry.org.

Other Map and History of Cartography Resources

• General Cartography Sites: research tools, event listings, and web exhibitions, digital collections
• Organizations and Map Societies: professional organizations, special interest organizations, map societies
• Appraising Historic Maps: what curators look for when authenticating or researching maps, list of Chicgao area appraisers

Smith Center Staff

• Director: James Akerman, Ph.D.
  
• Program Assistant: Sarah Frank, M.A.
• Research Assistant: Diane Dillon, Ph.D.
• Mapline editor: Please direct correspondance for the editor to smithctr@newberry.org.

Affiliated Staff

• Curator of Special Collections and Curator of Maps: Robert W. Karrow, Jr., Ph.D.
• Map Catalogr and Reference Librarian: Patrick Morris
• Please direct map reference questions to reference@newberry.org.
• E-mail for the Chicago Map Society should be directed to smithctr@newberry.org.