Upcoming Events

The Chicago Map Society typically meets at The Newberry Library on the third Thursday of every month during the academic year (September through May). Meetings start at 5:30 pm with a social half-hour, followed by an hour presentation on a cartographic subject of interest to our membership. Our meetings are open to the public, but to help defray expenses, non-members are asked for a small donation at the door. If you are unfamiliar with The Newberry, which is located on the near northside of Chicago, here are directions.

Please note that in May 2022, the Chicago Map Society began live streaming its programs to the web. Access to these programs is free of charge, but advance registration is required.

 

Winter & Spring 2024 CMS Schedule


Date: Thursday, March 21st, 2024
Location: Ruggles Hall, Newberry Library/Zoom Presentation Online
Time: 5:30 pm CT (Social Time)/6:00 pm CT (Presentation)
Title: Mapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County
Speaker: Anne Bonds

Description: Mapping Racism and Resistance: Racial covenants and struggles over real estate in the urban north

Speaker Bio: Anne Bonds is Professor and Associate Chair of Geography and an affiliate faculty of the Urban Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a critical human geographer whose research interests include race, racialization, and racial segregation, urban political economy and community development, and housing studies. She is an editor of the journal Urban Geography and is past-Chair of the Urban Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). Her work is published in a variety of outlets, including The Annals of the AAG, Progress in Human Geography, Urban Geography, and the Sociological Review.  Professor Bonds was the recipient of the 2022 American Association of Geographer’s Ruby and Wilbur Miller Award, recognizing her contributions to the field of geography.

 


 

Date: Thursday, April 18th, 2024
Location: Ruggles Hall, Newberry Library/Zoom Presentation Online
Time: 5:30 pm CT (Social Time)/6:00 pm CT (Presentation)
Title: Government Mapping in Early Modern Venice
Speaker: Karen-edis Barzman

Description: In 1460 the Venetian republic mandated something unprecedented – the systematic mapping of its territories, combining quantitative and qualitative data in “true pictures” to be archived and consulted in the inner chambers of government. This rejection of stand-alone text (list, itinerary, narrative) was soon justified when drawings began arriving with vast amounts of information delivered at a glance. Rather than efficiency, however, the logic behind the initiative was that visualizing geospatial knowledge would obviate ambiguities about places far away and accelerate consensus in the centralized management of the empire.

The 1460 mandate was featured in Volume 3 (2007) of the monumental History of Cartography, but its scope was misrepresented, and the maps (produced for 350 years) are still little known today. We will look at the maps’ gradual shift from verisimilitude toward abstraction and their functionality (distinct from that of print maps), assessing their complex overlays, data accuracy, intended purposes, patterns of use, necessary hardware, and methods of indexing, storage, and access in classified chanceries at the Ducal Palace in Venice – a sprawling information environment behind the scenes.

Speaker Bio: Karen-edis Barzman is an Emeritus Professor of Art History. Trained as an early modern Italianst, she works in a number of interdisciplinary fields (spatial history, history of cartography, media studies, digital humanities). Author of numerous publications, she is currently a Scholar in Residence at the Newberry Library and teaches at various universities in Chicago.

 


Date: Thursday, May 16th, 2024
Location: Ruggles Hall, Newberry Library/Zoom Presentation Online
Time: 5:30 pm CT (Social Time)/6:00 pm CT (Presentation)
Title: Games on Maps
Speaker: Wilbert Stroeve

Description: Remember Risk?  It was probably the first time that I ever heard of geographical regions called Yakutsk and Irkutsk. Over the years I have played many board games and now that I am retired I have time for more. It was suggested to do a map talk about those games that involve maps (as we would commonly describe them). And playing games such as Risk, Rail Baron, Civilization, Settlers of Catan, etc. involve a map-like board.  I explore some of the early history of board games and continue on to those that would resemble a map.

Speaker Bio: Born in The Netherlands, immigrated with family to CA when 8 years old in 1959. Drew maps in 1st & 2nd grade. After graduating from University, moved back to NL for a programming job. Afterwards moved to CA and on the way stopped off in the Chicago area for a job interview and got the job! Member of CMS since 1990s. Served on the board numerous years; President of CMS for ~4 years when IMCOS & Nebenzahl lecture took place at the Newberry.