Cartophiles and Nat Geo fans, rejoice! Ted Sickley, Director of Cartographic Databases for National Geographic, will be the keynote speaker at Mapping Our Past, a Special Collections event that celebrates the indispensable role of maps in our history from a local, regional and global perspective, at the Main Library Jan. 25, 2020. Sickley will trace the fascinating history of maps and cartography at National Geographic since the magazine’s inception in 1988. Map Expert Peter Cowdrey will examine Florida’s expansion and its territorial contraction through the last 500 years and what it means for the future. And Steve Williams, Urban Advocate for Smart Development, will talk about Mapping Jax’s mission to support the revitalization of downtown Jacksonville.

Mapping Our Past is made possible through the generosity of the Lewis and Sybil Ansbacher Family Foundation and the Jordan and Shirley Ansbacher Family Foundation. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the magnificent Morris Ansbacher Map Room, which houses the Lewis Ansbacher Map Collection with over 240 antiquarian maps and engravings. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN:   Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: Main Library, Special Collections, Morris Ansbacher Map Room, Fourth Floor

303 Laura St. N. – 32202

Schedule of Events:

1 – 2 p.m. – Mapping Jax presented by Steve Williams, Urban Advocate for Smart Development

2 – 3 p.m. – La Florida: Cartographic Expansion and Contraction presented by Peter Cowdrey, Florida Map Expert

3 – 4 p.m. – Tracing History: 132 Years of Maps and Cartography at National Geographic by Ted Sickley,

Director, Cartographic Databases, National Geographic Magazines