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Crossroads of Empire: Early Printed Maps of the American Southwest
Historical maps give viewers an opportunity to discover how their land has been seen in other times, through other eyes. Resources in the Crossroads of Empire package convey the romance of maps, the legacy of mapmaking and the profound influence of early mapmakers on our world today. The exhibit and audio-visual programs heighten appreciation of the mapmaking enterprise from 1500 to 1900 and enrich understanding of the history of the Southwest.
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Exhibit
Based on an exhibition organized by the Amon Carter Museum and the University of Texas at Arlington Library, this exhibit in 14 panels spans the mapmaking enterprise 1512 to 1873. It begins with the earliest known map to show the Texas edge of the Gulf and ends with an 1873 map of Texas showing the right of way granted to railroads.
Panel topics include:
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- Cabeza de Vaca in the desert
- Maps from the 1500s
- Early mapmaking techniques
- Spanish explorers
- California as an island
- Plagiarism in maps
- La Salle's fatal venture
- Spanish missions
- Early 19th-century maps of the Southwest
- Views of Texas territory
- Maps for settlers
- Railroads and the Indian Tribes
- Map of the United States, 1854
Exhibit format
Freestanding exhibit is presented in 14 panels (7 double-sided panels) containing 32 photographs mounted behind plexiglas. Captions and texts are in English and Spanish. Each panel is 24” wide x 36” high, panels attach to wooden leg poles that stand 68” high.
Shipping weight (2 fiber cases): 135 lbs.
Floor space required: 5’ x 18’
Supplemental materials
- A brochure discussing maps, discovery, and change in the Southwest. 50 copies English, 25 copies Spanish, free with exhibit.
- 5 copies of humanities program poster, free with exhibit.
Optional materials (available on request)
- Slide-tape overview, english and Spanish. 20 min., free with exhibit.
Available for rental
- VHS Video
- Lone Star: A Land Untamed
- This Most Singular Country
- Slide-tape program
- "In Search of the Golden Land"