CHICAGO MAP SOCIETY 50th ANNIVERSARY DINNER
Date: Thursday, October 29th, 2026
Location: Greek Islands | 200 South Halsted | Chicago IL
Time: 5:30pm
The Chicago Map Society will celebrate its Fiftieth Anniversary with a gala dinner at the Greek Islands, 200 South Halsted, Chicago, on Thursday October 29th. Distinguished historian of cartography, Matthew Edney, will speak about the legacy of David Woodward, the first director of the Newberry Library’s Smith Center for the History of Cartography, and his role in establishing the society in 1976.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS CLOSED
2026 Rare Map and Book Fair
Date: Friday, October 30th – Saturday, October 31st
Location: The Newberry Library
MORE INFO | Newberry.org →
Date: Thursday, November 19th, 2026
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: Canberra, Cartography and the Cold War; or, just how good was Soviet military mapping? A Ken Behrens investigation
Speaker: Brendan Whyte
Abstract: During the Cold War the Soviet military mapped, to their own detailed specifications, at least 2000 cities around the world. Yet due to the secrecy with which they were created, the maps often contain errors that show a complete lack of field-checking, that embassy staff could have fixed without even leaving their compounds. The errors range from forgivable cultural misunderstandings, and source map-reading errors, to farcical misidentifications. After brief introductions to the history of Soviet military city plans, and to Australia’s capital city of Canberra, this presentation will reveal the sources, the detail, and the (in)accuracy of the 1981 Soviet military map of Canberra, Australia, highlighting the utility of — but need for care when using — Soviet military city plans for historical research.
Bio: Brendan Whyte has had maps on his walls since his parents first let him push drawing-pins into their antipodean wallpaper. A former assistant map curator at both the University of Melbourne and the National Library of Australia in Canberra, he has published
a study of the (now erstwhile) Cooch Behar enclaves of India/Bangladesh, an atlas of the railways of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, a critical edition of Thomas de Quincey’s essay on Judas Iscariot, a multiplayer boardgame of the decline of the Carolingian dynasty,
and a map of the rural rides of William Cobbett. He is currently Curator and Head of the Map Collection at the University of Chicago.
Date: Thursday, December 17th, 2026
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: Annual Holiday Gala
Date: Thursday, January 21st, 2027
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: From Cotton Cartography and Silken Surveys to Rayon Escape Maps
Speaker: Suzanne Karr Schmidt
Abstract: The Newberry’s latest exhibition, Impressive Textiles: Printing on Fabric Society (December 10, 2026 to April 3, 2027)includes several maps that were not printed on paper. Join the curator as she discusses other examples of maps printed on leather and textiles in our ever-growing collection, and enjoy a closer look at the rare items in the show.
Bio: Suzanne Karr Schmidt is the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Newberry, but she has also been known to acquire a map or two in cahoots with our Map Curator. Suzanne last spoke to the Map Society in 2014 on the topic of “Printing Renaissance Maps, Volvelles, and Scientific Instruments.” Her most recent Newberry exhibition, Pop-Up Books through the Ages, included numerous maps and globe gores, and she is currently co-curating an Ortelius anniversary show with Dave Weimer and Lia Markey for Fall 2027.
Date: Thursday, February 18th, 2027
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD
Date: Thursday, March 18th,2027
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD
Date: Thursday, April 15th, 2027
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD
Date: Thursday, May , 2027
Location: The Newberry Library
Time: 5:30pm – 7:00 pm CT
Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD