Festival of Maps Are Here, Hon.

Following the successful Festival of Maps in Chicago, the City of Baltimore will host a Festival of Maps March 16 through June 30, 2008. The exhibit at The Walters Art Museum includes this map of Virginia that includes modern day Maryland:


Virginia, in A Map of Virginia: With a Description of the Country, the Commodities, People, Government, and Religion
by John Smith
1612; printed map
Newberry Library, Chicago (Gift of Edward E. Ayers)
British settler John Smith laid the colonial foundation with the publication of this 1612 map of Virginia.

"The Baltimore Festival of Maps is a citywide celebration organized by the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance to encourage Baltimore residents and visitors to explore museums, theaters, galleries and educational institutions." I wish I could be there.

You Are Here, Hon. is a blog by an enthusiastic map fan in Baltimore. She calls herself "Her Majesty of Maps. Just a local gal who has lots of attitude about latitude and who knows a thing or two about the map frenzy sweeping Charm City," She appears to be having a lot of fun posting maps from the exhibit, as well as oddball maps she finds along the way.

And here's something else I learned today: one of the nicknames for Baltimore is, "The Charm City." I'll buy that. I have visited the city many times and it has never been unpleasant. I love the Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium, and my favorite art museum in the world (sorry Walters), the American Visionary Art Museum.