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New book on toponyms in cartography published

Peter Jordan & Ferjan Ormeling (eds.), Toponyms in Cartography. ISBN 978-3-8300-6700-9

Peter Jordan & Ferjan Ormeling (eds.), Toponyms in Cartography. ISBN 978-3-8300-6700-9

The proceedings of the toponymic sessions at the 25th International Cartographic Conference, Paris, 3–8 July 2011 are now published in the book Toponyms in Cartography, edited by Peter Jordan & Ferjan Ormeling.

The ICA’s 25th International Cartographic Conference in Paris in July 2011 is special from a toponymical point of view because it marks the first meeting of the joint ICA-IGU Commission on Toponymy. Toponymy has been a regular theme for international cartographic conferences for decades, and it is only proper that this has been institutionalized now. The subject of toponymy is now not only dealt within an onomastical context at the biannual ICOS meetings, and within an administrative context at the biannual UNGEGN meetings, but also within a geo-cartographic context at joint ICA-IGU meetings.

The toponymical contributions to the Paris International Cartographic Conference are diverse, both geographically and thematically. Geographically, the focus is on Brazil and on Europe, with a paper on Tunis as a Mediterranean extension of Europe. The subjects range from the collection of geographical names to the operation of names servers, from the use of exonyms in school atlases to the creation of names data bases and from the reconstruction of former namescapes to the creation of new ones.

February’s Map of the Month is the hydrographic map Port de Djibouti

Port de Djibouti

We are happy to announce the Map of the Month for February: “Port de Djibouti” by the French Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency. It received the second jury’s prize in the category “Hydrographic or Maritime Navigation Charts” at the International Cartographic Exhibition at ICC 2011 in Paris.

Zoom in and get more details here!

Category: General News

Updates to the ICA website due to ICC 2011 in Paris

The 15th General Assembly of the ICA took place at the last International Cartographic Conference in Paris, France from 3rd to 8th of July 2011. In the picture above you can see the new executive committee together with the new commission chairs. We finally managed to incorporate all necessary changes into the ICA website:

If you think there is some important information missing or if you find an error on the website, please don’t hesitate to contact Manuela and Felix at website@icaci.org.

Category: General News

Proceedings of the ICC 2011 in Paris are online

The last International Cartographic Conference took place in Paris, France from 3rd to 8th of July 2011. The proceedings of this event are now available online via the publications section!

The ICC also hosted the 15th General Assembly of the ICA. The relevant changes to the ICA structure, especially the new Executive Committee of the ICA, will be reflected on the ICA website in the upcoming weeks.

Category: General News

Honorary Fellowship for Monique Pelletier

Monique Pelletier was born in 1934. She is a graduate of the Ecole des Chartes (National School of Palaeography and Archival Studies), the French school created in 1821 which contributes to the professional training of executives (chief archivists, librarians and curators) responsible for preserving and making available France’s cultural heritage.

Monique Pelletier obtained her diploma of Archivist Palaeographer after defending her PhD on the “Great Council from Charles VII to François 1st”. Her studies on the history of cartography are founded on her large knowledge of the French monarchy and its institutions in the XVI century, a particularly complex period in Europe history.

Appointed as Conservator at the French National Library in 1960, she was first in charge of developing the Book Catalogue of the Library (1960-1969). In 1976 she became Chief of the Department of Maps and Plans, and transformed her department into a modern and open map library, encouraging and herself participating in the research activity on the history of cartography. These activities pushed her to contribute actively to several international networks (IFLA, LIBER, IMAGO MUNDI and the ICA).

Within ICA, she succeeded Helen Wallis to lead the Commission of History of Cartography from 1987 to 1995. She also led the French Committee of Cartography from 1988 to 1998. Today as an Honorary Member of the Committee she is directing the publication of the journal Le Monde des Cartes. Always keenly involved in her research activities, she has participated in conferences, organised meetings and published many reports.

Her bibliography is lengthy and includes major volumes on cartographic development in France. It is summarized in a book produced for her retirement and focused on her career in cartography: Monique PELLETIER Tours et contours de la Terre : itinéraires d’une femme au cœur de la cartographie (Monique Pelletier – Rounds around the Earth : the itinerary of a woman in the heart of cartography), Presse de l’ENPC, 1999.
Her most recent book, published in 2009, is entitled: De Ptolémée à La Guillotière XV-XVIe siècles. Des cartes pour la France : pourquoi? comment? (From Ptolemy to La Guillotière, XV-XVI century: maps for France, why, how?), CTHS Edition, 2009.

Category: General News

Jacques Bertin (1918–2010)

Jacques Bertin was born in 1918 in Maisons-Laffite. He studied geography at La Sorbonne. In 1954 he created the Cartographic Laboratory of the École pratique des hautes etudes (EPHE) and became its director. Later he was director of the Graphics Laboratory of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), before becoming a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Jacques Bertin worked on the efficacy of thematic maps and their design improvements. He analysed visual effects on the transmission of information and the necessity for classification and application of hierarchy to data by means of different processes, including the ordered matrix. Bertin’s ground breaking research brought him international recognition, especially his work on semiotics and the subsequent publication of the famous Sémiologie Graphique. Les diagrammes, les réseaux, les cartes in 1967, with two new editions appearing in 1973 and 1999.

Jacques Bertin was the Chair of the Commission on Terminology of the French Committee of Cartography. He received the prestigeous Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal at the 1999 ICA Conference in Ottawa, the highest award of the International Cartographic Association awarded to cartographers of outstanding merit who have made significant contributions of an original nature to the field of cartography.

He died in Paris on 3 May 2010.

In honour of Jacques Bertin and to celebrate his work and contribution to cartography, the French Committee of Cartography added two special sessions to the programme of ICC 2011 in Paris. On Monday, 4 July, Gilles Palsky will officially present Jacques Bertin’s life and work. Following this, different cartographers from around the world will present their research either inspired or influenced by Bertin. Last but not least, a special Café Carto dedicated to Jacques Bertin will be arranged.

Anne Ruas, Comité Français de Cartographie

 

Esri Press has recently republished Semiology of Graphics: Diagrams, Networks, Maps by Jacques Bertin.

This cartographic classic has continuously held its place of significance. Now, with a new epilogue written by the author shortly before his death, this new 2010 edition in English reawakens us to the information design possibilities of modern technology. Bertin was thrilled to know that this book would be coming out and that there was still immense interest in his work and dedication to keeping it alive. For ordering, visit esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm.

Category: General News

Map of the Month May is from France and combines nautical and terrestrical maps

This month’s ICA Map of the Month is the map SCAN Littoral® chart of the golfe du Morbihan (Brittany). It was published as a joint project between the French Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM) and the French National Geographic Institute (IGN). It consists of a seamless merging of SHOM’s nautical charts and IGN’s terrestrial maps. At the last ICC in Chile it won the second jury prize in the category “hydrography or maritime navigational charts”.

Get more information and have a look inside at the ICA website!

Category: General News

Jacques Bertin is awarded the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal

Jacques Bertin in 1971

Jacques Bertin in 1971

The work ‘Semiologie Graphique’ published in 1967 by Professor Jacques Bertin has touched more than a generation of cartographers. Training in map design throughout the world discusses Jacques Bertin’s ideas. The book has been translated into several languages, and Jacques Bertin’s ideas are present in all introductory cartography books today. The ICA is proud to recognize Professor Jacques Bertin for his outstanding contribution to the field of cartography by awarding him its highest honour, the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal.

Category: General News
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