International Society for the History of the Map Symposium and Workshop

The International Society for the History of the Map (ISHMap) symposium and workshop will take place in Barcelona. The Symposium is organized in collaboration with the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya. The theme, ‘Mapping Outside the Metropole’, will think about centres of cultural production outside of the imperial capital.

A two-day workshop (24 May – 26 May 2027) for early career professionals (scholars, curators, archivists, and librarians) working in the history of cartography, will precede the Symposium. Hands-on activities led by experts in the field may include sessions focusing on data, machine-learning, and historical maps, Cold War mapping, early sea charts, and the materiality and production of the maps. The Symposium (26 May – 28 May 2027) will include papers and posters on all aspects of the history of maps and mapping. We particularly welcome proposals that address issues related to mapping outside the metropole and the central sites of colonial and state power as well as proposals that bring comparative or cross-cultural perspectives to the history of maps and mapping.