Chicago Map Society

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Chicago Map Society Founded in 1976, the Chicago Map Society is the oldest map society in North America. Meetings start at 5:30 p.m.

The Chicago Map Society is the oldest map society in North America, and has held monthly meetings at The Newberry since 1976. We meet the third Thursday of every month during the academic year (September through June). with a social half-hour, followed by an hour presentation on a cartographic subject of interest to our membership. Our meetings are open to the public, but to help defray expenses, non-members are asked for a small donation at the door. In addition to our monthly meetings, the Society occasionally sponsors field trips to view local private and institutional collections; we have published several books that feature cartography in the Chicago area; and, we often provide speakers for area cartographic events. We also support worthy cartographic projects, such as The History of Cartography Project, an important research, editorial, and publishing venture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison

Cartographic News
05/27/2026

Cartographic News

The Osher Map Library, at the University of Southern Maine in Portl...

On Top of the World | ANTIQUES ROADSHOWWhy is north (mostly) "up" on maps?
01/23/2026

On Top of the World | ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

Why is north (mostly) "up" on maps?

Maps show us the world. These wayfinding wonders show us how people think about the world, and sometimes they make us think about the world differently. So w...

How Did We Map the World Before Satellites?
01/12/2026

How Did We Map the World Before Satellites?

In 1375, a Spanish mapmaker made a world map we now refer to as the Catalan Atlas. For its time, the atlas was remarkably accura

01/12/2026

Our most recent Zoom meeting with our partner map societies:
"Teaching Geopolitics with Maps"

(Hosted by Washington Map Society; presented in partnership with the California, Chicago, New York, Philip Lee Phillips, Rocky Mountain, and Texas Map Societies)

Date/Time: Thursday, January 22, 2026

Topic: Georgetown University’s “Map of the Modern World” is likely the largest class in the world that still uses maps to teach geopolitics and world affairs. The current instructor will provide examples of how historic and contemporary maps and custom cartography are used to engage students in global issues and help them understand international challenges from multiple perspectives. Examples in the talk will include a Spanish colonial manuscript map of 18th century South America, maps of migratory bird flyways plotted on two different projections, and Google maps of Crimea generated in multiple countries.

Speaker: Mark Giordano is Professor of Geography and Vice Dean for Undergraduate Affairs at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. His research focuses on the international political dimensions of water, agriculture and the environment. He teaches classes on those topics and others including “Map of the Modern World.” Prior to Georgetown, Mark held multiple roles at the Sri Lanka based International Water Management Institute, winner of the Stockholm Water Prize--the "Nobel Prize for Water". In his earlier career, he was an agricultural trade economist and a combine mechanic. Most of his professional life was in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is from Walla Walla, Washington.

Meeting place: Zoom
Please register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8jEEIP-SSGSfOf_Sfvxe2A

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Address

60 W Walton Street
Chicago, IL
60610

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+13122553575

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