New Books in History The Library of Lost Maps: An Archive of a World in Progress
Dec 1, 2025
Professor James Cheshire, a renowned cartographer and director of the Social Data Institute at UCL, uncovers a hidden library of maps that transforms our understanding of history. He reveals how maps have shaped politics, sparked wars, and influenced climate science. Cheshire shares captivating stories, from the emotional power of physical maps to the controversial use of cartography in conflicts. He emphasizes the importance of revisiting forgotten maps, which hold profound cultural narratives and insights into humanity's past and future.
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Paper Maps Reveal Shared Framing
- Digital maps personalize views and hide differences; printed maps show the same authoritative framing to everyone.
- James Cheshire argues physical maps force group discussion about contested labels and meanings.
Madrid Tourist Map Turned Wartime Record
- A German tourist map carried a Nazi stamp that transformed it from souvenir into a wartime document.
- James Cheshire found military and Nazi stamps that revealed maps' repurposing during WWII.
Captured Maps Flooded University Archives
- Allies gathered vast cartographic collections after WWII via the Capture Maps Program.
- Cheshire explains many captured maps became lost in university libraries due to volume and poor cataloguing.
