----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Following this concern recently raised: " Perhaps this has happened to many of you when you are purchasing atlases? > You look at the title and think, sure that would be good for the collection. > Recently, I ordered "Atlas of Eastern Europe in the 20th century" and when > it arrived I was very disappointed. It is not what I would call an atlas but > rather a text with some maps..." Cheryl Woods Dear Cheryl, Traditionally, an atlas is defined as a collection of maps presented in book form, as illustrated by the following authoritative definition: " A collection of maps designed to be kept (bound or loose) in a volume" (International Cartographic Association. Multilingual dictionary of technical terms in cartography, 1973, p. 303, definition 824.1) "Karten in Buchform oder..." in German "Recueil ordonne de cartes..." in French, from the same dictionary. According to this tradition, the status of an atlas is questioned when forms of expression other than cartographic are used to portray the world. Should atlases be restricted to maps only or dominantly or not, and why? This traditional definition has to be revisited in the light of the influence of technological means on intellectual creation. I would like first to invoke the Past to update the Present. The very first atlas, Theatrum orbis terrarum, Abraham Ortelius, 1570, portrays the world using systematically both cartographic and textual forms of expression to convey information. Each region is depicted using one page of text and one plate (double page) of map, the intellectual design being one semantic unit comprising textual and graphic description. Ortelius was "multimedia-minded", using the communication means of his time, engraving and typography. Why did Ortelius bring text and image in so close association, in offering the world to contemplation with his work, if not to give two complementary approaches to the rendering of reality, each having its own merits? This very first atlas demonstrates that an atlas is not solely or primarily based on maps, and that the Theatrum prefigurates the present (printed) "multimedia" atlases, four centuries ago! Mercator's 1595 Atlas is also based on this textual-iconic semantic unit. Le Theatre francoys by Maurice Bouguereau (1595) offers maps and even more text than Ortelius and Mercator. It is difficult to argue that, from their inception, atlases were intended to be a collection of maps simply bound into a volume. So traditional the definition may be, it does not date back to the origns! Have a look at the Bartholomew's Physical Atlas series, published at the turn of this century, to realise that textual information was inseparable from the maps. What about today's atlases, "plagued" with non cartographic contents? To me, it is the continuation of Ortelius's foresightness, and the necessary updating of the traditional definition of an atlas to meet new epistemological and technological paradigms. To understand the complexity of phenomena, the systemic approach was devised to help (conceptually) bring into light what was needed to explain phenomena; in other words, to correlate related variables in order to generate meaning. How could you achieve that with the analytical approach that prevailed until the late '70 in the design of atlases? Some variables are best portrayed in maps, others in texts, photos, diagrams, time lines, ancient iconography, etc. The multidimensional approach required to properly understand complex phenomena called for the "multimediatisation" of geographic information, with innovative book and layout design, and lavish color reproduction. Multimedia atlases were (re)born, with today's taste and intellectual elegance... Facts on File atlases are the most "bookish" and the least stimulating among actual production. But what about the following theatrical ("theatrumesque?") and cartographical performances (...they are more than books): the precursor The Earth and Man, 1972 (thematic section), The Economist Atlas of the New Europe, 1992, Atlas of World History, 1987 (originally designed and produced by Hachette France who developed the "Hachette atlas" style used in many titles), Europe, le grand atlas, 1992, to name a few. My favorite is Genealogie de l'Europe, 1994 (Hachette) ...simply outside any classification! Simply to say that atlases can no longer be appraised basically on their cartographic content but rather on their intent, as a integrated multimedia expression of Our Planet (printed or electronic). Thanks to Ortelius! Hope you are less disappointed, Cheryl! *********************************************************************** Yves Tessier, Chef Cartotheque, Bibliotheque de l'Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada G1K 7P4 tel: 418.656.2131 poste 7933 fax: 418.656. 7793 [log in to unmask] ***********************************************************************