IHS Releases Historical ‘Mapping Indiana’ Book
INDIANAPOLIS — After more than a decade in the making, the Indiana Historical Society Press has released, “Mapping Indiana: Five Centuries of Treasures from the Indiana Historical Society,” with essays by Erin Kirchhoff, Eric L. Mundell and Amy Vedra.
Although it is not known exactly when the first map found its way into the IHS collection, the organization has actively collected cartographic gems over the last 186 years. Now with the release of Mapping Indiana, 107 of the most dynamic and treasured of those maps are being shared with the world, just in time for the state’s Bicentennial celebration.
The scope of the maps ranges from several Old World views of North America to more contemporary views of Indiana counties and towns, with many designed to be as artistic as they once were functional.
Readers will be treated to such images as a map showing important events and places in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Another map, from 1833, shows the country’s then-territorial boundaries under the wings of a patriotic eagle.
In addition to the maps and accompanying essays, Mapping Indiana features introductory essays by noted map specialist Donald Creswell and historian Nicole Etcheson, which relate the history of mapmaking from the early days of maps in America to the present, as well as the history of maps in the state.
The book is available for $59.95 in the Basile History Market at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., downtown Indianapolis, or online.
In addition, from Saturday, Jan. 16, to Saturday, April 2, 30 maps from IHS’s collection will be on display in the Rosemary McKee Lanham Gallery. The Mapping Indiana exhibition will also feature information on Hoosier mapmakers and their lives. For more information on the exhibition, book or other IHS programs, call (317) 232-1882.