The English Travel Guide: The Missing Link in Early Modern Travel Cartography
Laura Williamson, Associate Professor in Humanistic Studies, Saint Mary’s College – Notre Dame
Premodern Studies Seminar, May 16, 2025, 3:00pm–5:00pm
The Newberry – Classroom B-84
This paper focuses on the emergence of a distinct early modern cartographic genre, the English travel guide. The inaugural printed volume (John Norden’s England. An Intended Guyde for English Travailers in 1625) was not only the first of its kind, but it was also very much in demand: reprinted and reformed several times from 1635 to 1677 in a kind of palimpsest of map, table, list, and more. Turning to the Newberry Library’s unique holdings‒including an edition with no known copy‒I will argue for the central importance of this missing link to the story of early modern travel cartography.
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This event is free, but all participants must register in advance. Space is limited, so please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.
