In celebration of Dr. Seymour I. Schwartz’s pledged bequest of his collection of American maps, the University of Virginia Library presents “On the Map,” an exhibition featuring highlights from the more than 200 rare, historic items in the collection, on display from Jan. 28, 2008, through Jan. 17, 2009, in the Harrison Institute’s main gallery.
“On the Map” focuses on maps of North America printed during the three centuries after European contact. These documents—spanning the Age of Exploration to the early American Republic—not only illustrate the great strides in scientific, technological, and geographical knowledge during this period, but also express the aesthetic tastes, political agendas, and economic ambitions of those who made and used maps as they shaped the modern world.
The maps in Dr. Schwartz’s collection illuminate significant aspects of the history of North America and its cartography: maps that demonstrate how 16th-century Europeans struggled to make sense of their newly expanded world; maps that made erroneous assertions which led to long-lived misperceptions about the continent; and maps that were the first to depict or name landmark features of North American geography.
Please see the exhibit’s homepage and the Library’s Press Room for more information and downloadable images.
