Society for the History of Discoveries

To view the full map in detail, visit:
www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet...

This year’s SHD conference is in St. John’s, Newfoundland, so enjoy this 1960 full-color map of the region by NL artist Paul Parsons! It was made in collaboration with the Newfoundland & Labrador Tourist Development Office. It contains illustrations of animals, ships, & fishing.

With the CFP deadline just around the corner, here are photos from last year’s SHD conference in Denver, CO! We had some great speakers last year, including print & map expert Chris W. Lane.

Join us this year in St. John's, Newfoundland, and submit to our CFP due 03/15/2026, linked in our bio!

REMINDER - SHD Call for papers. Check the link for more information!

discoveryhistory.org/event-6407928

FEATURE FRIDAY

A special strategic transportation map of Italy designed by the United States Army Map Service in 1943, depicting two classes of roads and five classes of railroads.

For more information and the full map, visit www.loc.gov/resource/g67...

See the requirements for this opportunity: www.allardpierson.nl/en/allard-pi...

The cartography collection of Allard Pierson offers a three-month Research Fellowship in 2026 for research into the representation of princely cities by means of textual descriptions and visual representations in Blaeu’s atlas publications (dating from 1649 to 1672). Applications due 3/30/2026

To view the map in detail and see the rest of the collection, visit:
hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g436...

Citation: Rowan, V. J, and Schmidt Label & Litho. Co. Official map of Los Angeles County, California, 1888. Map. www.loc.gov/item/2012590....

A full-color map featuring Los Angeles County in California, created by Schmidt Label & Litho. Co. in 1888. The map was commissioned by the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County & shows drainage, roads, railroads, ranchos, township & section lines, land ownership, and landowners' names.

Program information: imcosjapan2026.jp

For questions, please contact Wes Brown: wesleybrownb@gmail.com

11/9-11/13/2026 The International Map Collectors’ Society (IMCoS) will join with the Japan Cartographers Association (JCA) & the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken). Presentations & map viewings: Tokyo & Kyoto, Excursions: 10th & 13th,Pre-tour: 8th, Post-tour: 14th-15th.

Information from
www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet...

This 1905 chart of the South Pole by cartographer J. G. Bartholomew offers a comprehensive depiction of Antarctica and its exploration history up to the early 20th century, integrating data from multiple expeditions and showcasing both known and unexplored territories.

Get (FREE) Tickets here: www.etix.com/ticket/p/544...

Photo Credit: blogs.loc.gov/maps/2026/01...

IN PERSON EVENT Live! At The Library: Adventures in Topographic Mapping – 2/26/2026 5-8:00pm EST

Celebrate terrain mapping and topography with the Geography & Map Division at the Library of Congress! Join us in the Great Hall between 5-8pm to explore cartographic design & topographic relief. A display of items from across the LoC will be available from 5:00-6:30pm & 7:30-8:00pm in LJ-113.

Info from:
P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography, #8548. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
Visit: digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/ss:1...
Brochure from David Rumsey Map Collection: www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet...

Competing railroad companies have long embraced the power of a map to emphasize their lines over others by artistically leaving out competitors' routes or stations. In the 20s & 30s, the Canadian Pacific & National Railways competed to attract tourists to their scenic Western resorts.

Register here: loc.zoomgov.com/webinar/regi...

LoC - ZOOM LECTURE Nautical Charts- 10 FEBRUARY 2026 3PM EST Librarian Julie Stoker

Reference librarian Julie Stoner & geospatial data visualization librarian Abraham Parrish will introduce nautical charts in the Geography & Map Division collections at the Library of Congress. After the presentation, staff look forward to answering additional questions from attendees.

Virtual Lecture Series Jabal al-Qilâl: Unraveling the Mystery of the Mythical Mountain Island Guarding the Mouth of the Mediterranean in Premodern Islamic Maps Feb 26, 2026 3-4:30 PM (CST) Dr. Karen Pinto

Join us for Dr. Karen Pinto’s lecture on Islamic cartographic images of the Mediterranean & the Maghrib. Her paper will present possibilities for identifying an endlessly mysterious mountain-island that served as a lock into and out of the Mediterranean.

Register via the link in our bio!

Slide 1 – IPY-1 North polar chart. Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume I, No. 12, 1885

Slide 2 - International Polar Station, Godthaab (Nukk), Greenland

Slide 3 – Dutch ship Varna beset by ice

Photos from www.pmel.noaa.gov/arctic-zone/...

FEATURE FRIDAY - The First International Polar Year (1882-1883) was a concentrated global effort to advance scientific research in the Arctic. 12 countries built 14 research bases to simultaneously gather pertinent polar data. This map indicates the placement of each research station.

Information from www.umasspress.com/978162534913...

Creating New England, Defending the Northeast asserts that Algonquian knowledge of the landscape represented a powerful & persistent alternative to English surveying & mapmaking in the Northeast. This story complicates stories of conquest, highlighting often-overlooked Indigenous spatial knowledge.

The newspaper, published over the winter of 1881-1882, has been transcribed in detail by expert Elrica Ludwig and her associate Madeline Newbery and is available to view through the Elisha Kent Kane Historical Society at kanehs.org/adolphus-w-g...

Slide 1 - 1902 Map of the North Pole Region by The Century Company, Private Collection

Slide 2 – Vol. 1 of The Arctic Moon, photo from the National Museum of American History

Slide 3 – Proteus ship at Quqertarsuaq Harbor, Godhaven, Greenland, by George W. Rice - Library of Congress, Public Domain

During the ill-fated Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881-1884), Lieutenant Lockwood, Sergeant Rice, and Private Henry wrote The Arctic Moon newspaper. They provided info about events, meetings, jokes, & other ephemera to keep the crew occupied during periods of inactivity.

Click our linktree to view abstract submission guidelines. Contact mylynka.cardona@etamu.edu with any questions!

CALL FOR PAPERS 67th Conference of The Society for the History of Discoveries – 07/29 – 08/01, 2026 Location:  Center for Newfoundland Studies, St. Johns, NewfoundlandDates: July 29 – Aug 1, 2026,Abstract Deadline: March 15, 2026 Theme: Islands of Discovery 

CALL FOR PAPERS 67th Conference of The Society for the History of Discoveries – 07/29 – 08/01, 2026 STUDENT SUBMISSIONS SHD may award travel funding up to $500 each for two graduate students to participate in the annual meeting through the Dr. Mary Emily Miller Endowment.  Further information may be found at  https://discoveryhistory.org/endowment.

CALL FOR PAPERS - SHD interdisciplinary conference to examine the history and ongoing process of island exploration. Scholars from history, geography, cartography, maritime studies, & related fields may submit proposals interrogating how island encounters relate to exploration, exchange, & discovery

Information from c-berg.com