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Here's the official press release about the new A.M. map collection.  BTW,
email messages about map-related curatorial issues, or questions about maps
held by LC -- but not online, may be sent to [log in to unmask] . Or send them to
[log in to unmask] and I'll forward them.
--Betty

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The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress is pleased to
announce a new collection to be added to the American Memory historical
collections. Mapping the National Parks, which can be found at the
following URL: <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/nphtml/>,
provides users with information about the history, cultural aspects and
geological formations of the areas that became Acadia, Great Smokey
Mountain, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks. The 200 maps that
comprise this collection date from the 17th Century to the current day and
provide samples of early mapping practices as well as information on the
areas that would become the parks themselves. Each park has a Special
Presentation, which provides additional information about each park and
provides examples of the kinds of maps available for study. Of special
interest are the nautical charts that are a part of the Acadia National
Park Special Presentation. These nautical charts not only document the
shore and water areas that are a part of Acadia National Park; they also
document the importance of the water as a source of transportation and
commerce for the area. Also of interest are the maps of the Grand Canyon
that can be accessed by clicking the image on the site's home page. These
maps not only provide detailed information about the Grand Canyon but also
glorious views of various scenes from the Canyon, many of which can also be
accessed from the Evolution of the Conservation Movement collection, which
is also part of American Memory. The Rockefeller Foundation provided
funding for the Mapping the National Parks collection.

In addition to this new collection, the Geography and Map Division has
added two new special maps to its current online collections.  A special
presentation about the 1562 Map of America by Diego Guti=E9rrez has been
added to the Discovery and Exploration Maps collection
<http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/>. Guti=E9rrez, a noted cosmographer
from the firm Casa de la Contrataci=F3n, collaborated with Hieronymous Cock,
a noted engraver from Antwerp, to create a map of the Americas, what was
then considered the fourth part of the world. At the time it was the
largest engraved map of the Americas and presently only two copies of this
map survive, one here at the Library of Congress; the other at the British
Library. This richly illustrated map provides a view of an America filled
with images and names that had been popularized in Europe following
Columbus's 1492 voyage of discovery.  Images of parrots, monkeys, mermaids,
fearsome sea creatures, Patagonian giants, and an erupting volcano in
central Mexico complement the numerous settlements, rivers, mountains, and
capes named. This map correctly identifies the location of the Amazon River
and many other bodies of water in South America. The map also identified
various land areas in the Southwestern United States and in Central America.

The final addition to the online map collections is the 1570 Theatrum Orbis
Terrarum (Theater of the World) by Abraham Ortelius, (1527-1598), a Dutch
Scholar and geographer. This atlas has been added to the special
presentation on atlases in the General Map Collections
<http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gnrlhome.html>. Theatrum Orbis
Terrarum is considered the first true atlas in the modern sense: a
collection of uniform map sheets and sustaining text bound to form a book
for which copper printing plates were specifically engraved. More than an
original concept, the Theatrum was also the most authoritative and
successful such work during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth
centuries. Because it was frequently revised to reflect new geographical
and historical insights, contemporary scholars in Western Europe praised
the Theatrum highly for its accuracy .The Theatrum atlas first appeared in
1570 and continued to be published until 1612. During this period, over
seventy-three hundred copies were printed in thirty-one editions and seven
different languages-a remarkable figure for the time. Many of
his atlas's maps were based upon sources that no longer exist or are
extremely rare. In addition, Ortelius included a listed of contemporary
cartographers who served as sources in the creation of this atlas. Without
this many of these cartographers would otherwise have remained
unknown.

Patrons who wish to just view the plates from the Ortelius Atlas can click
on the words "maps only" and view the beautifully colored and designed maps
that are a part of the atlas. Areas included in this atlas include Africa,
Germany, Greece, Early India and Spain.

For further information about these collections please contact the
Geography and Map Division at 202-707-MAPS (6277).

 _________________________________________________________
                                                        =20
   Elizabeth L. Brown, Reference Librarian, etc.                           =
=20
   National Digital Library Program, LIBN/NDL/VC(1330)  =20
   Library of Congress, Washington, DC  20540-1330      =20
   [log in to unmask]                telephone: 202/707-2235  =20
                                                        =20
   Library of Congress American Memory Home Page:                   =20
   http://memory.loc.gov/               =20
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