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International news and events

Compiled by the Members of the BIMCC, Nicola Boothby, Wulf Bodenstein and Pierre Parmentier

Events

Piri Reis and Mercator: Maritime mapping in the 16th century
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Brussels, Belgium
Organisation: Yunus Emre Enstitüsü
Half day conference where scholars of cartography will compare the work carried by Piri Reis through his maps and famous Kitab-i bahriye (Book of the seas), and Mercator in the context of development of maritime discoveries.
  • 14.00-15.30 First Session
    • Alain Servantie, former Head of Turkish Desk, European Commission, Moderator
    • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kalpakli, Bilkent University, 'Ottoman Culture in the Age of Piri Reis'
    • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bülent Arı, Director of Dolmabahce Palace Museum, 'The Ottoman Empire’s Rule in the Mediterranean and the Role of Kitab-ı Bahriye'
    • Prof. Heath W. Lowry, Princeton University-Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi, 'Piri Reis Revisited: The Kitab-ı Bahriye as a Source for Ottoman History'
  • 15.30-16.00 Coffee Break    
  • 16.00-17.30 Second Session
    • Alain Servantie, former Head of Turkish Desk, European Commission, Moderator
    • Prof. Dr. Philippe De Maeyer, Gent University, 'Before and After Mercator'
    • Jan de Graeve, Brussels International Map Collectors' Circle, 'Mercator’s Globes and Murad III'
    • Dr. Dirk Imhof, Director of Plantin Moretus Museum, 'Production and sale of atlases by the Antwerp Plantin Press in the 16th century'
  • 18.30-21.30 Exhibition and Reception
Address/Venue: Bibliothèque Solvay, Parc Léopold, Rue Belliard 137, 1040 Bruxelles
Language: English
URI: http://yunusemreenstitusu.org/belgium/index.php?lang=fr&page=12&calEventID=106
25th International Conference on the History of Cartography (ICHC)
30 June - 5 July 2013
Helsinki, Finland
The Board of Directors of Imago Mundi Ltd is delighted to announce that Helsinki has been chosen as the venue for the 25th International Conference on the History of Cartography (ICHC). This will take place in July 2013.
URI: http://ichc2013.fi/
26th International Cartographic Conference
25 - 30 August 2013
Dresden, Germany
The 26th International Cartographic Conference will be held in Dresden in August 2013. This conference returns to Germany again, with ICA conferences being held previously in Germany in Frankfurt in 1962 and Cologne in 1993. The International Cartographic Conferences take place every two years. 2013 sees the conference in the "Florence of the North".
It will bring together cartographers and GI Science specialists from across the globe to Dresden for the International Cartographic Conference - ICC 2013. The conference will provide a forum for the presentation of scientific papers illustrating the efforts of the research community, professional papers describing the cutting-edge methods employed by mapping organisations, meetings of the ICA Commissions and Working Groups, furthering their international collaborative efforts to advance knowledge and techniques in cartography, map exhibitions and the chance to meet again with colleagues and friends.
Dresden boasts the highest density of art treasures in Europe. And, for cartographers, the possibility to view one of the top international globe collections. Dresden is also the home of educational and research institutions that have progressed the theoretical and practical elements of Cartography and GI Science.
The 26th International Cartographic Conference will be held at Dresden’s state-of-the-art congress centre. The congress centre is in the very middle of Dresden, affording the opportunity for conference delegates and accompanying persons to explore this wonderful city.
International Congress Center Dresden, Ostra-Ufer 2, 01067 Dresden, Germany
URI: http://www.icc2013.org
Festival international de géographie – 24e édition [Saint-Dié-des-Vosges International Festival of Geography (FIG)]
3 - 6 October 2013
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France
URI: http://www.fig.saint-die-des-vosges.fr/
Excursion to the map collection of prince Emmanuel de Croÿ (1718-1784)
19 October 2013
Valenciennes, France
Organizer: BIMCC and Bibliothèque de Valenciennes
Valenciennes’ library is housed in a nice18th century building which belonged to a Jesuit college created during the Spanish period. Among other treasures, this library houses the collections of Emmanuel de Croÿ who was a prince of the Holy Empire, but also led a military career in France where he received the grade of marshal. A learnt gentleman interested in science and in all the new discoveries of the 18th century, he collected books and maps; these were seized in his chateaus near Valenciennes during the Revolution (http://bookline-03.valenciennes.fr/bib/accueil/ducdecroy.asp)
Venue: Bibliothèque de Valenciennes, 2 rue Ferrand, 59300 Valenciennes
Language: French
At 14.00. The visit will be guided, in French, by Marie-Pierre Dion, Director of the Library, who researched the life of Emmanuel de Croÿ; ad-hoc translation into English will be provided to those members requiring assistance. More details will be provided in the May 2012 BIMCC Newsletter.
URI: http://www.bimcc.org/bimcc-programme.htm#soon
Paris Map Fair - 12e Salon de la carte géographique ancienne et du livre de voyage
Saturday 9 November 2013
Paris, France
Organisation: Libairie Loeb-Larocque
Opening hours: 11.00 - 18.00
Venue: Hotel Ambassador, 16, Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris
Contact: telephone +33 1 44 24 85 80 or +33 6 11 80 33 75
URI: http://www.map-fair.com/
BIMCC International Conference - Mapping India
Saturday 7 December 2013
Brussels, Belgium
Venue: Royal Library of Belgium, Boulevard de l’Empereur / Keizerslaan 2, 1000 Brussels | Coordinates 50.843693° N 4.355242° E
At 9.30

Programme of lectures

  • A General Introduction to the Mapping of India by Dr Manosi Lahiri, University of Delhi, author of Mapping India
  • Early Mapping Indian Style by Susan Gole, author of many reference works on the cartographic traditions in early India
  • India in the Islamic Medieval Cartography by Prof Dr Jean-Charles Ducène, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
  • Mapping under the British by Dr Andrew Cook, Former Map Archivist, India Office Records, British Library, London
  • Portuguese mapmakers in Goa by Dr Dejanirah Couto, Maître de conférences, EPHE, Sorbonne, Paris
  • Sailing for textiles and spices. The Ostend maritime trade with India and Bengal, 1714 - 1744 by Dr Jan Parmentier, scientific advisor to the Antwerp MAS Museum, and Hans Kok, IMCoS Chairman
Fees (to be paid at the door): Members - Free admission | Non-Members - EUR 10.00 | Lunch - EUR 30.00 approx.
To register, please click here and fill the on-line 'Registration form' before 30 November 2013.
26th International Conference on the History of Cartography (ICHC)
July 2015
Antwerp, Belgium

N e w s

Press release - 1 June 2013 - History of cartography research programme moves to University of Amsterdam
The Explokart research programme on the history of cartography is moving its activities from the Utrecht University’s faculty of Geosciences to the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Starting from 1 June, cartographic historian Peter van der Krogt has been appointed the ‘Jansonius curator’ at the University of Amsterdam’s Special Collections, in which capacity he will also be carrying out teaching duties for the university’s chair in Book and Manuscript Studies.
The aim of the Explokart research programme is to map, study, digitise and make accessible the Netherlands’ cartographic heritage. The programme was set up over three decades ago by Professor Günter Schilder, and has evolved into an institute that is respected around the world. Numerous standard works on historical cartography have been published under the auspices of Explokart, including the Globi Neerlandici and the Monumenta Cartographica Neerlandica and Atlantes Neerlandici series. Fourteen volumes of the Explokart Historisch-Cartografische Studies have by now also appeared, thanks largely to the efforts of volunteer researchers.
Explokart has been led by cartographic historian Dr Peter van der Krogt since 2007, but in spite of its outstanding research results, it became less and less of a priority within Utrecht University’s faculty of Geosciences, which has a strong focus on planning, life sciences, and environmental sciences. The idea was formed for Explokart to become part of the increasingly active Special Collections department of the University of Amsterdam, which also holds the extensive collection of the Royal Dutch Geographical Society. Thanks to a contribution by the University of Amsterdam and private donations, as well as the cooperation of the Faculty of Geosciences in Utrecht, this move has now become possible.
As the newly appointed Jansonius curator, Peter van der Krogt will be seconded to the Special Collections for two days a week. His appointment will be funded from the Jansonius Fonds voor Historische Cartografie. This fund was recently established by Mrs K. Jansonius in memory of her late husband, Mr R.F. Jansonius. The name of the fund is also a reference to the famous seventeenth-century cartographer and publisher Johannes Janssonius. The fund provides support for the Maps and Atlases collection of the Special Collections and research into historical cartography at the University of Amsterdam.
Explokart is being provided with a permanent location in the building of the Special Collections on Oude Turfmarkt in Amsterdam, where the secretarial duties will be carried out by Paula van Gestel. Like Explokart, the Stichting Cartographiae Historicae Cathedra is also moving its activities from Utrecht to Amsterdam. The foundation, which was established in 2005, seeks to establish a chair in the History of Cartography at the University of Amsterdam. Chairman Coen Schimmelpenninck van der Oije is pleased with the relocation to Amsterdam. 'This opens the way for a new generation of cartographic historians who can carry the field forward and give it a fresh boost in this digital age.'
Peter van der Krogt - Paula van Gestel - Günter Schilder - Ferjan Ormeling
Posted on 4 June 2013
Kaarten van Amsterdam 1538-1865 en 1866-2012
Vanaf 15 februari zijn de twee boeken Kaarten van Amsterdam 1538-1865 en Kaarten van Amsterdam 1866-2012 verkrijgbaar. Deze prachtige uitgaven geven een fraai topografisch overzicht van de geschiedenis van de stedelijke ontwikkeling van Amsterdam door de eeuwen heen. Het eerste deel is nieuw, de uitgave 1866-2012 is een verbeterde en uitgebreide heruitgave van de uitgave uit 2002. De prijs per uitgave bedraagt EUR 69.50.
Ambities - Aan verschillende planologische kaarten zijn de hoge ambities van het stadsbestuur te zien. In die zin sluit het deel Kaarten van Amsterdam 1538-1865 goed aan bij de tentoonstelling Booming Amsterdam waarin de aanleg van de grachten centraal staat. Daarin zijn onder meer alle zeventiende-eeuwse kaarten van Amsterdam opgenomen, waaronder veel kaarten die de aanleg van de grachtengordel inzichtelijk maken. De meeste kaarten tonen een topografisch beeld van de stad. Daarnaast werden er in vroeger eeuwen ook historische en thematische kaarten gepubliceerd. Ze geven een schat aan informatie over toeristische attracties, de verspreiding van besmettelijke ziektes, bevolkingsdichtheid, religie, handel en nijverheid, enzovoort.
Kaarten van Amsterdam 1538-1865 - Het eerste deel Kaarten van Amsterdam1538-1865 omvat 221 catalogusnummers. Het omvat vele honderden kaarten die van aanvullende historische informatie zijn voorzien. Voorbeelden zijn de geschilderde en de op twaalf houtblokken gedrukte kaart van Cornelis Anthonisz. (1538, respectievelijk 1544) en de gegraveerde kaarten van Pieter Bast (1597) en Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode (1625). Ook kennen we fraaie kaarten in vier bladen door, waarschijnlijk, Visscher en later heruitgegeven door Pieter Mortier (ca. 1676), door Johannes de Ram (ca. 1692) en door vader en zoon De Broen (1724). Bijzonder is ook de kaart in zes bladen (1663) van stadsbouwmeester Daniel Stalpaert. Hij was in 1662 verantwoordelijk voor de door hem ontworpen vierde uitleg.
Kaarten van Amsterdam 1866-2012 - Het (herziene) tweede deel Kaarten van Amsterdam 1866-2012 telt 30 nieuwe catalogusnummers ten opzichte van de uitgave in 2002. Het boek opent met de in 1866 getekende manuscriptkaart met de visie van stadsingenieur Van Niftrik op de uitbreidingen buiten de Singelgracht. Zijn kaart markeert de aanzet tot de tweede Gouden Eeuw van Amsterdam. Andere bekende uitgaven die in deel 2 aan de orde komen zijn de kaarten van Kalff (1875) en Scheltema (1900), de 1:1.000-serie van Publieke Werken en de Arcamkaart (1995). Bijzondere kaarten die niet in de eerste uitgave opgenomen waren, werden getekend door Kruls en Schmüll (1882) en van Van der Meij (1903). Ook nieuw is de grote presentatiekaart met het stedenbouwkundig ontwerp van Cornelis van Eesteren (1935) die in 2008 teruggevonden werd.
URI: http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/actueel/nieuws/laatste_nieuws/index.nl.html#1hgI
Posted on 13 April 2013

E x h i b i t i o n s

Bonaparte at the Scheldt
23 March – 30 June 2013
Antwerp, Belgium
Organisation: MAS (Museum aan de Stroom)
Antwerp swept along in a current of French aspirations. Vive Napoléon?! From 1794 to 1814 Antwerp found itself under French rule. This brief period had a considerable impact on the city and on the lives of its inhabitants...
... Particularly once Napoleon began to involve himself in Antwerp's affairs from 1803 onwards.
Affectionately referred to by his soldiers as le petit caporal (the Little Corporal), Napoleon was a man of great aspirations. He gave a crucial role to Antwerp within his plans of European conquest. The city was to become his empire’s most important military port, and everything would change as a result. Following two lean centuries, the port regained its influence in world trade. It flourished and expanded.
The two large docks next to the MAS, the Bonaparte Dock and Willem Dock, are significant remnants of the period under Napoleon. They represent the beginnings of the today’s port. The bicentenary of the Willem Dock's inauguration (in 1813) provides the celebratory occasion for reviewing two effervescent decades in the history of Antwerp. The city’s economy developed rapidly; but this came at a heavy price with Antwerp in a constant state of war.
What did the French achieve? What would their further plans have entailed? And how did those 20 years of French rule alter the dynamics and appearance of this port city? Bonaparte at the Scheldt pieces this extraordinary legacy together using paintings, prints, maps, model ships and archive records.
Address/Venue: Museum aan de Stroom, Hanzestedenplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen
Language: At the walls and vitrines, all texts are in Dutch only. But there are various possibilities to obtain the room texts (and even more information) in English when you visit the museum.
Contact: telephone +32 3 338 44 00; e-mail mas@stad.antwerpen.be
Hours of opening: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00. Access price: see MAS Website. Catalogue available: (unknown)
URI: http://www.mas.be/MAS-EN/Publicatiekanalen/Musea-MAS/MAS-EN/Startpagina-MAS-EN/Startpagina-MAS-EN-Hoofdnavigatie/Startpagina-MAS-EN-Hoofdnavigatie-Collection/Bonaparte-at-the-Scheldt.html
Steady as she goes - Sailing by Mercator's map
16 October 2011 - 8 September 2013
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
How do you find your way on the open sea? You can forget about it if you do not have a proper map of the world. However, making such a map is a quite complex process. Try creating a good representation of a spherical shape like the Earth on a flat world map. The solution found by the sixteenth century cartographer Mercator became world-famous because sailors were able to plot their courses on nautical charts using a straight line for the first time. Discover everything about navigation at sea - both with and without Mercator's map - at the family exhibition Steady as she goes! Historical maps and shipmodels will help you, but you will also be working with globes, binoculars, compasses, the stars and modern navigation equipment such as satellites and GPS. The only remaining copy of Mercator's world map in atlas format and his recently restored globe can also be admired at the exhibition.
Address: Maritiem Museum Rotterdam, Leuvehaven 1, Rotterdam
Contact: Judith Freijser (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)
Maritiem Museum Rotterdam, Postbus 988, 3000 AZ Rotterdam
Telephone +31 10 402 92 42, e-mail j.freijser@maritiemmuseum.nl
URI: http://www.maritiemmuseum.nl
Charting the Land of Flowers: 50 Years of Florida Maps
28 September 2013 - 15 February 2014
Tampa, Florida, USA
Tampa Bay History Center
The exhibition tells the story of exploration, settlement and growth of Florida and the significant role it played in US history. The publication of the catalogue and opening of the exhibition will coincide with the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's arrival in, and the naming of, Florida in 1513. In addition to the 150 maps, dating from the 1500s to the present, included in the primary exhibition and its catalogue; there will be a 'secondary' exhibition of 75 or more other (and generally more casual or more contemporary) maps in another area within the History Center.
Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Old Water Street.
Hours: open daily 10.00 - 17.00. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Contact: Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Old Water Street, Tampa, Florida, 33602
URI: http://www.sochistdisc.org/2013_annual_meeting.htm
20 000 Leagues Over Land and Sea - Exploring Six Centuries of Cartography
12 June 2013 – 13 April 2014
Montreal, Canada
Organisation: Stewart Museum
The Stewart Museum will present the exhibition '20 000 Leagues Over Land and Sea - Exploring Six Centuries of Cartography'. Discover some hundred maps from the Stewart Museum’s collection, the largest, most consistent and comprehensive collection of ancient cartography and cosmography conserved by a private museum in Quebec. On display are world maps, continental maps, maps of countries, sea charts, polar maps, celestial maps and city maps. A selection of navigational, astronomical and surveying instruments as well as globes of the earth and the heavens—all from the Stewart Museum’s collection—will complement the exhibition. More than six centuries of mapmaking will be presented, with special emphasis on the Age of Discovery, from the 15th to the 18th centuries. This is an outstanding opportunity to discover the little-known yet fascinating world of ancient mapmaking.
Address/Venue: Stewart Museum, 20 chemin du Tour-de-l’Isle, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal
Language: English and French
Contact: Josée Massicotte, telephone +1 514 388-0169, e-mail massicottejosee@videotron.ca
More details:
Admission: Adult – CAD 13.00, Senior (55 years and over) – CAD 10.00, Student (7 to 25 years) – CAD 10.00, Child (6 years and under) – free, Family – CAD 26.00
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11.00 to 17.00.
Catalogue available: [not known]
URI: http://www.stewart-museum.org/en/20-000-leagues-over-land-and-sea-106.html
Exploring the Early Americas: The Jay I. Kislak Collection
Indefinite exhibition
Washington, USA
Exploring the Early Americas features selections from the more than 3000 rare maps, documents, paintings, prints, and artifacts that make up the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress.
This ongoing exhibition has three major themes: Pre-Contact America; Explorations and Encounters; and Aftermath of the Encounter. Like the Jay I. Kislak Collection itself, the exhibition provides glimpses into the complex and fascinating past of the Americas. It provides insight into indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native American and European explorers and settlers, and the pivotal changes caused by the meeting of the American and European worlds. The last theme explores the profound growth of knowledge, particularly in natural history and geography, resulting from the encounters. This section includes two extraordinary maps by Martin Waldseemüller created in 1507 and 1516, which depict a world enlarged by the presence of the Western Hemisphere.
This installation begins the public's direct and permanent access to a remarkable private collection and the collection's full availability for research and scholarly exploration. Throughout the exhibition, interactive presentations enable visitors to learn directly from the artifacts, books, documents, paintings, and maps.
Northwest Gallery, Second Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.
Monday - Saturday, 10.00 h to 17.00 h.
URI: http://www.oc.gov/exhibits/earlyamericas/