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 The Map Collections
Texas by Thomas G. Bradford. Published in Philadelphia
by T. G. Bradford, 1838.
Special Collections' map collection is housed in the Virginia Garrett
Cartographic History Library (VGCHL), which was established in 1978 to support the rich
holdings of the Division in documenting Texas and Southwestern history from the beginning
of European exploration to the present. The VGCHL focuses on five centuries of exploration
and mapping of the New World, with particular emphasis on the region of the Gulf Coast and
the Greater Southwest, which includes Northern Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and
California.
The VGCHL contains thousands of rare maps and atlases, and features works of noted
cartographers, such as Martin Waldseemüller, Abraham Ortelius, Jodocus Hondius, Vincenzo
Coronelli, and Guilliaume DeLisle. The library also collects maps relating to
transcontinental migration, transportation surveys, and oil exploration. Of particular
interest to researchers are the more than one thousand maps depicting Texas in its various
geographical and political configurations.
In addition, the maps in the VGCHL represent a variety of printed formats, including
wood block prints, copper and steel engravings, lithographs, and a number of other
printing processes. The division also holds examples of manuscript maps, portolan charts,
copper plates, lithograph stones, globes, and a 19th century printing press. Study and
research of maps are supported by a wide variety of textual materials, including
monographs, journals, and reference works.
New!!
Want
to see a selection of maps from our collections? Check out the
Cartographic
Connections web page!
Augmenting the sheet maps is a fine collection of atlases and geographies. Represented
in the collection are many European authors, such as Corneille Wytfliet, John Ogliby, and
Alexander von Humboldt as well as works by the American publishing houses of Jedidiah
Morse, Samuel Augustus Mitchell, and Thomas G. Bradford .
The division also works closely with other offices and departments on campus, including
the Center for Greater Southwestern
Studies and the History of Cartography and the chairholder of the Jenkins and Virginia
Garrett Chair for the History of Cartography, Dr. David
Buisseret. The division, solely and in conjunction with other university units, sponsors
seminars, exhibitions, meetings, including those of the Texas Map Society, and
continues to publish a number of its rich resources.
Cataloging of the division's cartographic holdings is in process and you will need to
access both the in-house card catalog and the library's electronic catalog,
UTA Libraries' Catalog to locate maps of interest. In addition,
there is a small number of maps that are held as collections and have appropriate Finding Aids. These include the Topographic Maps of Texas,
Sanborn Insurance Maps, Twentieth Century Road Maps, and National Geographic
Maps. Please consult the online Findings Aids index for
a complete listing.
New!! A selected list
of reference materials for research and study of
maps, including both general
cartographic history and the cartographic history of Texas is available
online. A list of web sources for maps also is contained on the
page.
If you have questions about the holdings of the Virginia Garrett Cartographic History
Library, please contact Katherine (Kit) Goodwin at goodwin@uta.edu.
Special Collections
The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries
Phone: (817) 272-3393 * Fax: (817) 272-3360 * E-mail:
Reference
Desk
This page last update on
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
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Last Modified:
07 Apr 2004 15:16:10
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Collection Information 
