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New map exhibition in Manchester explores its social history

• June 24. < http://www.manchester.ac.uk:80/aboutus/news/display/?id=4815 > 'Cartographic treasures show little change in city life' (a news release from the University of Manchester).
        'A unique collection of rare Manchester maps reveals how worries about congestion and binge drinking were just as prevalent 100-years-ago as they are today. The drawings, part of an exhibition of 80 maps unseen in public for up to 200 years, can be seen at The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library opening on 25 June [and running to 17 January 2010]. It includes an excerpt of the first large scale survey of the city published by William Green in 1794. And a 1945 map shows how the city centre was slated for transformation into a modernist utopia along the lines of inner city Birmingham. Thankfully the plans never went ahead. An "isochron" map shows how long it took to commute to the city centre in 1914 and was produced by Manchester Council to convince the movers and shakers of the time that tramways and traffic policemen were needed - echoing the rejected Transport Innovation Fund congestion charge proposals of last year. "The congestion of 1914 shown in the map bears a strong similarity to the traffic hotspots of today," said Chris Perkins, geography lecturer from The University of Manchester and one of the exhibition’s curators. "It’s amazing that it took up to 50 minutes to get to places as far out as Stockport and Timperley - a similar figure to now."
        'On display at ‘Mapping Manchester’ is material held by The University of Manchester and other institutions in the city, including generous loans of materials from the Manchester City Library and Archives, Chetham’s Library and the Manchester Geographical Society. An 1889 map of licensed alcohol sellers produced by the United Kingdom Alliance - one of the period’s temperance societies - also has an eerily resemblance to the binge drinking hotspots of today, says fellow curator and geography lecturer Dr Martin Dodge also from The University of Manchester. "This fascinating map published in the Manchester Guardian was purposefully designed to show that the biggest drinkers lived in Manchester’s poorest areas " just like today ...'

Insights from a map appraiser


• June 12. < http://appraiserworkshops.blogspot.com:80/2009/06/excerpt-from-journal-of-advanced_12.html > 'Excerpt from the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies'.
        Appraiser Dale Sorenson, of Waverley Auctions, reveals the considerations taken when estimating the value of old maps, in an article in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies, 'A Primer on Valuating {evaluating?} and Appraising Maps'. The three paragraphs are presumably an extract from a fuller article you would have to purchase with that issue of the journal. However, the observation, made in the context of the large and small versions of the Ortelius atlases, that 'ordinarily each map of the smaller size would have less value than its larger folio size map', does not suggest that the author's 30-year experience will have produced many profound insights.

Massive 1954 relief map of British Columbia given a new lease of life


• June 12. < http://www.theglobeandmail.com:80/news/national/map-provides-security-with-the-big-picture/article1180919/ > 'Map provides security with the big picture ' (by Rod Mickleburgh in the Globe and Mail - National ).
        Security staff preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are planning to consult a 'legendary, hand-crafted, 65 {i.e. 55}-year old relief map that has been packed away and gathering dust for the past dozen years. A chunk of the huge, celebrated Challenger Map - all spruced up - now sits in the lobby of the Richmond headquarters of the RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit, depicting the topographical make-up of the Lower Mainland and Whistler, complete with lights pinpointing the location of each Olympic venue and the Sea to Sky highway ...
        'Bill Challenger, the grandson of map creator George Challenger, couldn't be happier. He and other descendants had despaired of ever finding a new home for the massive, 24- by 23-metre topographical map, which shows every mountain, valley, island, plain and waterway in B.C. It is often described as the largest map of its kind in the world. "It looks absolutely fantastic. It's all been repainted and it looks beautiful," Mr. Challenger said yesterday. "The family is delighted."
        'The Mounties' unexpected interest may bring the rest of the old map out of mothballs. Since the building housing it at the PNE was demolished 12 years ago, the map, made in 196 separate pieces, has been languishing in a humble storage locker, and more recently, in an Air Canada hangar at the airport. George Challenger, a wealthy mining and logging pioneer, spent seven painstaking years meticulously constructing his project, using grainy aerial photographs, old survey maps and his own observations from years of stomping through the wilderness to illustrate the entire breadth of the province to a populace that barely knew a thing about B.C.'s vast interior and northern reaches. He completed it in 1954 ...
        'The campaign to save the map, which one admirer labelled the finest example of folk art in the province, has been led by Al Clapp, a visionary former TV news executive who helped create such successful past ventures as Granville Island and the 1976 Habitat Forum. Mr. Clapp said he thought the Olympic security use for the map was a wonderful idea. "It's like looking at the real thing [the Lower Mainland], only it's a model. It's a way of showing everyone where everything is." Bill Challenger said he is hopeful others may be inspired to resurrect the remaining map panels. "It's really a piece of art that should not be lost. We need someone to get this up and going again." Although this is the first public use of the Challenger Map in years, it's not unprecedented. While the map was at the PNE, pipeline, highway and electrical transmission planners would pay a visit to explore routes for their construction projects.' The aticle includes an illustration.

Ernest Dudley Chase exhibition in Boston


• June 8 [date noted]. < http://www.mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/ > 'Ernest Dudley Chase: a Worldview in Maps' (State Library of Massachuestts blog, 18 May 2009 - see also next entry: 'Preservation work on the new exhibit is complete').
        The enlargeable illustrations on the library's blog give a good idea of the decorative style of the maps from the 1930s and 1940s produced by Ernest Dudley Chase (1878-1966), a graphic artist from Winchester, Mass., for Rust Craft Publishers. The exhibition runs in the State House in Boston until 7 September.

Graham Arader selling at auction 'for estate planning purposes'


• June 3 [updated 24 June]. < http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31223 > 'A Collection of Color Plate Books, Maps, Atlases, Watercolors and Paintings will be Offered at Sotheby's' (in the artdaily.org).
        'On 19 June 2009, Sotheby’s [New York] will present The Graham Arader Sale. For almost four decades, Graham Arader has been one of the world’s most recognizable collectors and dealers of color-plate books, atlases, cartography, and natural history watercolors. This June, Sotheby’s will offer a remarkable selection from his holdings, ranging from original watercolors from Redouté’s Les Lilacées to the celebrated 1513 edition of Ptolemy’s geography, and from western views by Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, and H. J. Warre to ornithological illustrations by John James Audubon, Josef Wolf, John Abbot, Marc Catesby, and many others. Just as noteworthy as the content of the sale, however, is Mr. Arader’s pledge to donate 20% of the hammer price of any lot to any recognized charity chosen by the successful purchaser of that lot. A selection of lots will also be sold without reserve. The offering will be on public exhibition from June 13-18 prior to the auction.'
        '"I have been fortunate to spend nearly 40 years acquiring and selling some of the most historically important icons of American and European history from the 16th to the 19th century," said W. Graham Arader. "In deciding to part with a portion of my holdings for estate planning purposes, I recalled the myriad libraries, universities, foundations, botanical gardens, schools, zoos and other institutions that I worked with over the years and saw an opportunity to give back to those who have supported my field and improved the quality of life for all of us. My hope is that through this sale, the works that I have treasured will find new homes that will benefit not only their owners, but the charities they designate as well."'
        One of the auction's ten sections will comprise 'Atlases, Cartography, and Navigation.' The summary also mentions an 11-volume Blaeu Atlas Maior, and Christopher Saxton, An Atlas of England and Wales, 1579 (estimated at $165/185,000). For further details see the webpage for that auction. [Update, noted 24 June 2009: Christie's posted the results but few map lots appear (see 85-104). They explain that 'Omitted lot numbers indicate items that were withdrawn, passed, or unsold as of the publication of this list.' < http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotResultsDetailList.jsp?action=P&start_lot_row_num=101&end_lot_row_num=200&event_id=29470&sale_number=N08558&lots_per_page=100&show_lot_name=Y >.]

Historian of the Outer Banks dies


• May 25. < http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/author-preserved-history-northeast-n-carolina > 'North Carolina author, historian dies at 89' (by Patrick Wilson in the Virginian-Pilot).
        'David Stick, an author and pioneer in recording the history of coastal North Carolina, has died at the age of 89 ... His massive collection of northeastern North Carolina maps, charts, books and papers is at the Outer Banks History Center in Manteo. "As far as the history of the coast of North Carolina, he was really a pioneer," said Kevin Duffus, a historian from Raleigh who knew Stick since the late 1970s. "He preserved the history of the Outer Banks and the Tidewater area of North Carolina long before anyone ever thought that that was an important thing to preserve or to study."' One of his books, The Outer Banks of North Carolina, 1584-1958, published by the University of North Carolina Press, drew heavily on early maps, where he acknowledged the assistance of the great map historian, W.P. Cumming.

Sections of WWII escape maps hidden behind playing cards


• May 23. < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1186178/How-escape-prisoner-war-camp--chocolate-pack-cards-couple- gramophone-records.html > 'How to escape from a prisoner of war camp... with chocolate, a pack of cards and a couple of gramophone records' (by David Wilkes in the London Mail Online).
        Commenting on the new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, 'Captured: The Extraordinary Life Of Prisoners Of War', the article illustrates sections of a map hidden behind playing cards.

Maps donated to MSU to be put on the web


• May 22. < http://blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/index.php/2009/05/22/great-lakes-and-michigan-1757-1862?blog=55 > 'Great Lakes and Michigan 1757-1862' (Map Library blog of the Michigan State University Libraries).
        'The MSU Map Library received a gift of 27 maps of Michigan and the Great Lakes dating from 1757 to 1862. Mike DeGrow built this collection over many years, with the goal of illustrating the political development of the state. Several of the rarest maps in the group illustrate the area contested in the border war with Ohio. Several others depict the changing relationship Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula had with Michigan. All the maps will be scanned, and later this summer we will launch an interactive website featuring these maps.'

The map and booksellers of London's Cecil Court threatened by rate rises


• May 19. < http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23694456-details/Stop+our+unique+street+becoming+a+chapter+in+history,+say+booksellers/article.do > 'Stop our unique street becoming a chapter in history, say booksellers' (by Benedict Moore-Bridger and Sri Carmichael in the London Evening Standard).
        Cecil Court, a pedestrian alley off Charing Cross Road, in London's theatreland, has long been renowned for its small antiquarian book, map and print shops. [I should declare an interest here: I worked in one of them in the early 1960s.] The Court is owned by Lord Salisbury (after whom the pub round the corner is named). The revaluation of the business rates that the proprietor has to pay led to two of the 20 shops closing this year. More will almost certainly follow unless help is provided by the authorities. Tim Bryars, a map dealer, is secretary of the Cecil Court Association. The paper unhelpfully suggests that because he has a couple of valuable works in stock, he presumably has no need to worry. I should perhaps point out that an antiquarian business survives by selling not hoarding. 'One visitor, Dr Meir Persoff, a historian from Jerusalem who collects ancient maps, said: "Cecil Court is London how it used to be in its glory days, it is terrible to think it is under threat."'

Possible happy outcome for the model map of Gettysburg


• May 13. < http://civilwarcavalry.com:80/?p=1533 > 'Hopefully, the Electric Map Has Found a New Home in Gettysburg' (on the Rantings of a Civil War Historian blog - copying the Gettysburg Times of 12 May).
        'A nonprofit group is working with the National Park Service to keep the historic Electric Map in Gettysburg. Historic Gettysburg-Adams County is talking to the park about obtaining the map and featuring it in a new museum, possibly along Steinwehr Avenue ..."We’re going to build a museum - a map museum - making the Electric Map a centerpiece for that," said Judi McGee, chairwoman of the HGAC task force. "The map itself will be restored," McGee said. "We’ll also be able to preserve and restore some other period maps along the way and some artifacts."
        'The map was cut into four pieces in March and moved out of the old park visitor center. It is now being stored in a park facility along the Hanover Road, just east of Gettysburg. The map was not incorporated into the plans for the new $103 million Battlefield Visitor Center, which opened in April 2008 along the Baltimore Pike ... The map entertained millions of tourists over the years, when it was the park’s primary attraction. It used 625 flashing Christmas bulbs to illustrate the movement of troops during the Battle of Gettysburg. Opponents argue that the map’s technology is obsolete, while proponents believe that it’s an iconic American treasure. The current map dates back to 1962-63, although the original map dates back to the 1930s.' [For earlier entry see the Archive for 7 April 2008.]

Another map dealer's blog


• May 9. Geographicus Antique Map blog
        I have recently come across this interesting blog, run by the New York map dealer, Kevin James Brown. It does, unsurprisingly, relate to the maps he currently has for sale but his commentaries are informative, and, perhaps more valuable still, the scans (on both his blog and his dealing site) are enlargeable to very high resolution via the Zoomify application. Though the listing I provide of map dealer sites that offer a good selection of images may well be out of date in some respects, Geographicus is one of the few of which I am aware whose images (of both current and previous stock) are of value to researchers. To see what is available for consultation look at the Geographicus Antique Map Archive, which 'attempts to bridge the gap between a webstore and an academic archive'.

'Google's Japanese maps - Berkeley's position'


• May 6.
       I have been asked to post the following clarification from Hisayuki Ishimatsu, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley <yishimat@library.berkeley.edu >.
        'David Rumsey and I have been aware of this issue and for the past few weeks we have been working together on what to do with it. Google thought about removing those two Japanese maps, but that was too shameful. Rather, Google and Rumsey decided to white-out the areas while Berkeley decided not to alter any of our online maps. Google is a business enterprise and wants to avoid any trouble, I understand their position. We have not altered the original maps in either the main online collection or in the Google Maps collection - both of which are not hosted by Google but rather by David Rumsey.
        'The maps were changed in Google Earth because Google had received several complaints from concerned groups that the maps could be used to further discrimination. Because Google hosts these maps on their server, we agreed with the decision to make the changes. We also have a link from the Google Earth balloon for both altered maps that gives information on the map, explains the reason for the alterations, and links to an unaltered version. From the article it appears that various groups took different positions on this issue -- some wanted the maps changed, others did not.
        'Over ten years ago a Japanese map collector, Takashi Otsuka, made an agreement with Buraku Kaiho Domei (Buraku Liberation League) to publish a book of collection of old Kyoto maps without erasing those names. Since then most Japanese publishers started publishing reproductions of old maps without alterations. The largest among them, Kashiwa Shobo, whose VP, Hiroshi Tobe, has told me that it is important to clearly state their position to recognize the historical facts as they are to solve social discriminations in the preface of book. We have followed this policy with our online maps that we host and control. Google, because of its position, felt that it had to take a different approach.'

Early maps on Google Earth touch a raw nerve in Japan


• May 2 [replacement entry; and amended 3 May, with added passages from the missed second page; and further update 4 May - see end]. < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/02/AR2009050200844.html > 'Old Japanese maps on Google Earth unveil secrets' (by Jay Alabaster in the Washington Post).
        'When Google Earth added historical maps of Japan to its online collection last year, the search giant didn't expect a backlash. The finely detailed woodblock prints have been around for centuries, they were already posted on another Web site, and a historical map of Tokyo put up in 2006 hadn't caused any problems. But Google failed to judge how its offering would be received, as it has often done in Japan. The company is now facing inquiries from the Justice Ministry and angry accusations of prejudice because its maps detailed the locations of former low-caste communities.
        'The maps date back to the country's feudal era, when shoguns ruled and a strict caste system was in place. At the bottom of the hierarchy were a class called the "burakumin," ethnically identical to other Japanese but forced to live in isolation because they did jobs associated with death, such as working with leather, butchering animals and digging graves. Castes have long since been abolished, and the old buraku villages have largely faded away or been swallowed by Japan's sprawling metropolises. Today, rights groups say the descendants of burakumin make up about 3 million of the country's 127 million people. But they still face prejudice, based almost entirely on where they live or their ancestors lived. Moving is little help, because employers or parents of potential spouses can hire agencies to check for buraku ancestry through Japan's elaborate family records, which can span back over a hundred years.
        'An employee at a large, well-known Japanese company, who works in personnel and has direct knowledge of its hiring practices, said the company actively screens out burakumin job seekers. "If we suspect that an applicant is a burakumin, we always do a background check to find out," she said. She agreed to discuss the practice only on condition that neither she nor her company be identified. Lists of "dirty" addresses circulate on Internet bulletin boards. Some surveys have shown that such neighborhoods have lower property values than surrounding areas, and residents have been the target of racial taunts and graffiti. But the modern locations of the old villages are largely unknown to the general public, and many burakumin prefer it that way. Google Earth's maps pinpointed several such areas. One village in Tokyo was clearly labeled "eta," a now strongly derogatory word for burakumin that literally means "filthy mass." A single click showed the streets and buildings that are currently in the same area.
        'Google posted the maps as one of many "layers" available via its mapping software, each of which can be easily matched up with modern satellite imagery. The company provided no explanation or historical context, as is common practice in Japan. Its basic stance is that its actions are acceptable because they are legal, one that has angered burakumin leaders. "If there is an incident because of these maps, and Google is just going to say 'it's not our fault' or 'it's down to the user,' then we have no choice but to conclude that Google's system itself is a form of prejudice," said Toru Matsuoka, a member of Japan's upper house of parliament. Asked about its stance on the issue, Google responded with a formal statement that "we deeply care about human rights and have no intention to violate them"...'
        'Two weeks later, after the public comments and at least one reporter contacted Google, the old Japanese maps were suddenly changed, wiped clean of any references to the buraku villages. There was no note made of the changes, and they were seen by some as an attempt to quietly dodge the issue ...
        'The maps in question are part of a larger collection of Japanese maps owned by the University of California at Berkeley. Their digital versions are overseen by David Rumsey, a collector in the U.S. who has more than 100,000 historical maps of his own. He hosts more than 1,000 historical Japanese maps as part of a massive, English-language online archive he runs, and says he has never had a complaint.It was Rumsey who worked with Google to post the maps in its software, and who was responsible for removing the references to the buraku villages. He said he preferred to leave them untouched as historical documents, but decided to change them after the search company told him of the complaints from Tokyo. "We tend to think of maps as factual, like a satellite picture, but maps are never neutral, they always have a certain point of view," he said. Rumsey said he'd be willing to restore the maps to their original state in Google Earth. Matsuoka, the lawmaker, said he is open to a discussion of the issue.' [For a discussion on the moral issues involved, and other geographical examples, see Jeremy Crampton's 3 May post to his Foucault blog < http://foucaultblog.wordpress.com:80/2009/05/03/new-google-earth-controversy-in-japan-similar-to-bowman-expeditions-controversy/ >]

Rationale for the Chesapeake map collection revealed


• May 1 [with May 17 update at end]. < http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/for-chesapeakes-chief-some-big-money-in-maps/ > 'For Chesapeake’s Chief, Some Big Money in Maps' (Michelle Leder's 'Perks Watch' in the New York Times).
        'Chesapeake Energy has come under fire lately for its hefty compensation to its chairman and chief executive, Aubrey K. McClendon. On Friday, Mr. McClendon was at the top of the list of the highest-paid chief executives in 2008 for companies that are in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. But it turns out that Mr. McClendon is more than just a well-paid chief executive. According to the proxy that the company filed on Thursday, he’s also an avid collector of historical maps. According to the filing, in December 2008, Mr. McClendon sold a collection of historical maps of the American Southwest that had been on display at the company’s headquarters in Oklahoma City. The buyer was none other than Chesapeake Energy, which paid $12.1 million for the collection at the end of last year.
        'While the filing notes that the $12.1 million was Mr. McClendon’s cost of acquiring the collection over the past six years and that the collection was worth at least $8 million more, it also notes that the appraisal came from "the dealer who had assisted Mr. McClendon in acquiring this collection." In exchange for displaying the collection, the company was required to insure the maps and notes that its main reason for buying the collection was because "the Company was interested in continuing to have use of the map collection and believed it was not appropriate to continue to rely on cost-free loans of artwork from Mr. McClendon." The filing provides further justification for the purchase by noting that the map collection ties in very closely to the company’s interior design and contributes to its’ "workplace culture."'
       [May 17 update from Seeking Alpha, 'Chesapeake Energy Explains, But Ignorant Shareholders Just Don't Get It', quoting from a letter sent to shareholders by Chesapeake Energy's General Counsel: 'In December 2008, the Company purchased an extensive collection of antique historical maps of the American Southwest from [CEO] Aubrey [McClendon] for $12.1 million, which represented his cost. The collection includes over 500 museum quality pieces. A dealer who had assisted Aubrey in acquiring this collection over a period of six years advised the Company that the replacement value of the collection in December 2008 exceeded the purchase price by more than $8 million. The maps have been displayed at the Company's Oklahoma City headquarters for a number of years, during which the Company has been insuring the maps in exchange for their display.' <http://seekingalpha.com:80/article/138031-chesapeake-energy-explains-but-ignorant-shareholders-just-don-t-get-it >.]