ICHC is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the history of maps and mapmaking. It promotes global cooperation among cartographic scholars from any academic discipline, map curators, collectors, dealers and institutions.The academic programme of the conference is comprised of paper and poster presentations and exhibitions. The social programme includes receptions, a farewell dinner and post-conference tours. ICHC 2015 is being organized by the City of Antwerp, in collaboration with the University of Antwerp and Imago Mundi Ltd.

Argument

The 26th International Conference on the History of Cartography is organized under the main heading ‘Theatre of the World’. Inspiration was derived from the title of the very first modern atlas, which was published in 1570 by the Antwerp mapmaker Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598).

Ortelius used the theatrum mundi metaphor which was a dominant image in Western thinking. The world of the stage, of roles, masks, parts to play has been one of the most enduring ways of speaking about life and the world we live in. This metaphor also inspired famous writers. "All the World’s a Stage" is the opening phrase of a monologue from Shakespeare's  As You Like It, performed at the Globe Theatre. The Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel put it as "De wereld is een schouwtoneel", while Calderón de la Barca titled one of his plays El gran teatro del mundo.

The four theatrical dimensions Space, Time, Imagination and Spectacle cover more specific aspects of the history of cartography.

Space

• Mapping the city / metropolis
• Maritime maps
• Exploration maps
• Atlas production

Time

• Mapping the past: historical maps and atlases
• The history of longitude
• Prime meridians

Imagination

• Mapping mythical and imaginary places
• Artistic decoration of maps
• Thematic mapping
• Map projections: the earth in two dimensions

Spectacle

• Unlocking the treasure-houses of map collections to a large audience
• Maps in all dimensions: globes, large wall maps, tiny maps in almanacs, …
• Showing status: the use of maps for promotional reasons

… and Variety

• Any other aspect of the history of cartography

Guidelines Submission

We are pleased to announce the call for papers for the 26th International Conference on the History of Cartography (ICHC  2015) to be held in Antwerp (Belgium), 12-17 July 2015.

ICHC 2015 is being organized by the City of Antwerp, in collaboration with the University of Antwerp and Imago Mundi Ltd.

The deadline for submissions to the conference programme (in the form of papers, posters or special sessions) is

Wednesday 15 October 2014.

All submissions should be received by this date.

All proposals need to be submitted by title and abstract (of between 250 and 500 words). All abstracts must be submitted in English. Each individual can submit only one proposal (either for a paper or for a poster).

We expect your contribution to report on research that has not yet been published or presented. If you have already presented on your topic, we ask that you specify the new aspects of your contribution. In our experience, the best presentations and discussions are supported through well-chosen visual material and clear captions. We urgently ask you to choose visual material that clearly illustrates the argument and that can be shown enlarged and in high quality, for example map details. This is particularly important for the understanding of audience members who are not native speakers of English.

All proposals will be reviewed by the ICHC 2015 Selection Committee, which will make final recommendations on papers accepted for the conference. The Selection Committee reserves the right to request revisions to content and format of abstracts before a final decision is made.

Proposers will be notified of outcomes in January 2015. A provisional programme will be published in March 2015.

Imago Mundi, Board of Directors

• James R. Akerman (Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography and The Newberry Library, Chicago)
• Peter M. Barber (British Library, London)
• Tony Campbell (formerly British Library, London), chair
• Imre Demhardt (University of Texas at Arlington)
• Matthew H. Edney (University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Southern Maine)
• Markus Heinz (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin)
• Catherine Hofmann (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
• Roger J.P. Kain (University of London)
• Peter C.J. van der Krogt (University of Amsterdam)
• Carme Montaner (Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya, Barcelona)
• Kenneth Nebenzahl (Glencoe, Illinois)
• Anthony Payne (University College London)
• Mary S. Pedley (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
• Alexey Postnikov (Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of the History of Science and Technology, Moscow)
• Zsolt Török (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)
• Sarah Tyacke (formerly The National Archives, London)

Scientific Advisory Committee

• Wouter Bracke (Royal Library, Brussels)
• Frank Canters (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
• Philippe De Maeyer (Ghent University)
• Joost Depuydt (FelixArchief)
• Marie Juliette Marinus (FelixArchief)
• Piet Lombaerde (University of Antwerp)
• Tim Soens (University of Antwerp)
• Jan Vandersmissen (Université de Liège)
• Bram Vannieuwenhuyze (indepent researcher)
• Ann Verhetsel (University of Antwerp)