Tom Harper: "Overview of the British Library's New Map Exhibition, 'Secret Maps'”

Sponsored in partnership with California, Chicago, New York, Philip Lee Phillips, Rocky Mountain, and Texas Map Societies.

Location: Zoom

Time:  7:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM CT/ 5:00 PM MT/ 4:00 PM PT

Title: “Overview of the British Library's New Map Exhibition, 'Secret Maps'”

Speaker: Tom Harper, Lead Curator of Antiquarian Mapping, British Library

Summary: In this presentation Tom will showcase the British Library’s forthcoming exhibition Secret Maps (24 October 2025 - 18 January 2026). Secret Maps will explore the relationship between maps and secrecy in a global context between the 14th and 21st centuries. Using relevant examples for a North American audience, Tom will introduce some of the exhibition’s key themes. These include the ways in which maps have been utilized by governments, armies, businesses, communities and individuals to withhold spatial knowledge. and the question of whether, in an age where spatial data is routinely shared and democratized, it is easier or more difficult to keep a secret today.

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