A Decade of Discovery: The David Rumsey Map Center at Ten
New technologies transform historical maps into a modern learning experience.
When the David Rumsey Map Center (DRMC) opened at Stanford University Libraries in April 2016, its renowned namesake collection represented the culmination of 25 years of curatorial effort. Its dedicated website launched in 1999, davidrumsey.com, was recognized as a pioneering open-access repository, featuring high-resolution images and state-of-the-art tools. Today, the DRMC houses hundreds of thousands of cartographic objects and maintains a dynamic calendar of academic activities centered around them.
“David Rumsey is widely respected for his unwavering commitment to sharing his maps with the public. He recognized that the densely detailed texts found in bulky atlases and folded maps were underutilized primary sources of historical information that could be made accessible and searchable through machine-reading technology,” said Michael A. Keller, the Ida M. Green University Librarian, adding, “We continue to benefit profoundly from his cartographic scholarship and collecting expertise.”
The DRMC collection's focus on North and South America significantly advances the study of the American West at Stanford. At that time, Associate University Librarian Julie Sweetkind-Singer served as the head of the Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collections, a depository for the United States Geological Survey and the home of the Stanford Geospatial Center. “We knew from the start that the DRMC would be a special place for engagement, learning, exploration, and fun. I’m excited that the next decade looks to be as transformative as the last. In some ways, it feels like we're just beginning!” she said.
The DRMC embraces new technologies such as virtual reality and regularly hosts talks on experimental mapping methodologies. Recently, visiting scholar Dr. Ben Gitai presented his “chronomaps”—created with drones to explore themes of time, space, and human experience—along the transitional landscape of the Sunset Dunes and the former Great Highway in San Francisco. By framing images to tell a story and creating a moving panorama, Gitai aims “to do with maps what Muybridge and Stanford did for photography.” At the DRMC anniversary celebration on May 21, Professor Solomon Hsiang will present his work at the Doerr School of Sustainability's Global Policy Lab to study human development by applying machine learning to 1.7 million aerial photographs.
Exhibitions and conferences provide additional opportunities for public participation. An annual competition open to all US-based students, sponsored by the California Map Society and the DRMC, led to the current exhibition, “You Are Here: Transit Cartography and Spatial Identity,” created by winner Jayne Kilander, an Urban Studies and Master of Library and Information Science student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The biennial Barry Lawrence Ruderman Conference on Cartography serves as a cornerstone of the conference schedule; its fifth iteration last October featured speakers discussing the cartography of topics beyond the earth's surface, ranging from the depths of the ocean to the stars.
Instructional workshops and immersive classroom sessions, such as those recently held for the courses “The Design of Data” at the Stanford d.school and “Superpower California: The Indispensable State” in the Department of Political Science, serve as cornerstones of the DRMC’s educational and student employment programs. Beatrice Smigasiewicz, a Ph.D. candidate in Art History and instruction support specialist at the DRMC, said: "My research focuses on avant-garde artists who engaged architectural theory and emerging technologies to rethink public space. Although maps are not typically understood as conceptual art objects, they are closely tied to art historical questions about how space, data, and power are represented. It’s been really inspiring to work at the DRMC and connect familiar frameworks with mapping practices and technologies that optimize new ways of seeing, imagining, and experiencing space and data.”
Evan Thornberry, Head and Curator of the DRMC, articulated his staff’s aspirations for the next decade: “We have a dual focus on collection building and community engagement, both with a strong emphasis on innovation. Inspired by David Rumsey himself, we see our work as more than preservation. It's about modernizing a historic collection and discovering new ways to bring it to life. We anticipate that cartography will continue to enhance research across disciplines at Stanford as new technologies revolutionize both the study of historical maps and the creation of new ones. The work conducted here will also contribute to scholarship worldwide and raise awareness of the significance of maps in understanding our world.”
As the David Rumsey Map Center enters its second decade, its commitment to innovation and community engagement promises to further elevate the role of cartography in scholarly research and public understanding. By embracing new technologies and fostering partnerships, the DRMC not only preserves the rich history of mapping but also inspires future generations to explore the world through the lens of cartography. The next ten years hold immense potential for discovery and collaboration, ensuring that the legacy of maps continues to resonate in today’s dynamic landscape.