WASHINGTON
MAP SOCIETYWASHINGTON
MAP SOCIETYThe purpose of the Washington Map Society is to support and promote map collecting, cartography, and study of cartographic history. The Society was founded in 1979. Since 1979 the Society has grown tremendously and our membership now includes current and former employees of Federal, state, and private map repositories; collectors with scholarly knowledge gained through years of study; individuals who enjoy selling maps - both old and new; and many members who simply love to learn about or collect maps. Membership is open to anyone who shares these common interests. A membership application/renewal form is available online either as a web page or as a pdf file.
|
The WMS Annual Dinner will be held Saturday, May 19 2012 at the home of Dennis and Carolyn Gurtz and starts at 6:00 PM. A registration form is available online. For further information, contact Peter Porrazzo at 703-883-1843. |
The Society’s publication, The Portolan, is a journal of international standing with scholarly content on maps and cartography; it is issued three times a year. Published continuously since 1984, it is the only publication in the Americas focusing on the history of cartography, map collecting, and cartography. Neither the Society nor its journal is focused solely on Washington DC. The varied mix of contents has made The Portolan a publication for local members and also for members and subscribers around the country and the world (over 20 countries). Over half its readers live outside the Washington area. Additional information about The Portolan is at this website. Back issues are available. The journal has an active Book Review program.
The Society has about eight meetings each year. Most meetings are held at the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Recent speakers have included Cyrus Ala'i, Richard Betz, Martin Bruckner, David Buisseret, Evelyn Edson, Francesca Fiorani, Blair Hedges, John Hessler, and Kim Martineau. An occasional meeting has been held at other Washington area map repositories like the National Archives, the National Geographic Society, and the News Art Department of the Washington Post. Weekend field trips have been taken to the Library of Virginia and Virginia Historical Society in Richmond; Walters Art Museum and Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore; the Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library in Charlottesville; the De-Witt Wallace Museum in Williamsburg; the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester; and the New York Public Library in New York. A current list of meetings is available online or at Cartography - Calendar of Events.
In 1994 the Society began awarding the annual Ristow Prize, named in honor of Walter F. Ristow, the founding President of the Society and former Chief of the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Each year the $1000.00 prize is awarded to a paper in the field of the history of cartography. The winning paper is also published in The Portolan. Click here to see Ristow Prize honorees since 1994.
* Learn about
and from other map collectors, map dealers, and map professionals.
*
Field trips to map collections and map museums.
* Behind the
scene tours of public and private map collections including the
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division and the National
Archives, Cartographic and Architectural Branch.
* Meetings
held at the Library
of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
*
Three issues of The
Portolan per year.
* News
of upcoming meetings, conferences, or exhibits.
* Feature length
articles written by Washington Map Society members.
* Listings of
recent books dealing with the history of cartography.
*
Information on internet
links to other sites of
cartographic interest.
* Annual Ristow
Prize competition.
* Additional
frequently asked
questions can be found online.
The Washington
Map Society is a non-profit organization, chartered in the District
of Columbia. Our US Federal Tax Identification Number is 52-1745756.
Click here to read the ByLaws. A
membership application/renewal form is available online either as a
web page or as a pdf
file. Additional membership information can be obtained
from:
John W. Docktor
3100
N Highway A1A PHA1
Fort Pierce FL 34949-8831
USA
