Announcements:​​​

• RMMS Lecture Openings

  • ​We have some open slots in our 2026 lecture schedule. If you are interested in giving a talk, or know someone who would be a good fit, please contact Vincent.louis.szilagyi@gmail.com. Any and all map related topics are welcome, as are any level of speaker experience. Thank you!
     

• Astrotopophilia: A Love of Place with Maps of Space by Sam Cartwright

  • Thursday, February 19, 2026 @ 5:00 PM

  • Whether a trail map of a serene forest or a plot of historical markers in a bustling city, maps help us understand and connect to the spaces we inhabit, creating a feeling of topophilia, or “love of place”. But what if a map shows a place that no human has ever been to? Can we ever truly know or love a distant, alien landscape with the help of a mere map? In this talk, we’ll trace the history of planetary cartography from the earliest telescope sketches to today’s high-resolution imagery and explore the indelible link between maps and humanity’s fascination with space.

  • Sam Cartwright is a PhD candidate with the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. For his dissertation, he is developing novel mapping techniques to explore the composition of Mars’s crust and ice deposits, which are key to understanding the planet’s early formation and climate history. Sam was born and raised in Ogden, UT and previously earned degrees from Middlebury College (BA, 2018) and the University of Nevada Reno (MS, 2021). In 2024, he co-curated an exhibit on topophilia at CU’s Earth Sciences & Map Library. He enjoys film photography and collecting vintage maps and ephemera.

  • This will be hosted on Zoom (register in advance, click here)
    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
     

• ​“Where the *%&^# is Polypotamia? Mapping proto-states in the early Republic” - Michael Buehler

  • Tuesday, February 24, 2026​ @ 5:30 PM

  • This program addresses the question, “What do contemporary maps reveal about state creation in Trans-Appalachia in the years immediately after the Revolution?” What was Thomas Jefferson's role? 
    This program is illustrated using images of rare, important, and deeply interesting American maps of the era.

  • Michael Buehler, owner of Boston Rare Maps, is a long-time collector of rare maps and historical prints.  A specialist in the field, he has published articles on early American mapmaking, acted as guest curator of map exhibitions at the Harvard Map Collection and the Leventhal Map Center of the Boston Public Library, and is a regular public speaker.

  • This will be hosted in person at at History Colorado

    • 1200 North Broadway, Denver, Colorado

    • Please register for a free ticket, please click this link.

    • Please enter the building at the main (front) entrance.

    • Parking information, click here.

  • ​This will also be hosted on Zoom (no registration necessary).

    • Zoom Link
       

• ​New Feature in Colorado Magazine: “Lost and Found – Rediscovering Colorado’s Earliest Records” by RMMS member Larry Obermesik

  • ​We’re excited to share an engaging piece from Colorado magazine titled “Lost and Found: How my pandemic pastime led me to rediscover some of Colorado’s earliest records.” Over the course of the pandemic, RMMS member Larry Obermesik turned a quiet hobby into a remarkable journey through archives, unearthing forgotten maps, journals, and documents that shed new light on the early days of Colorado’s settlement.

  • You may remember that Larry presented the story to RMMS last year of Daniel Jenks, the early Colorado gold miner, from the journal Larry discovered in the Library of Congress. Larry has gone on to do amazing research on the Jenks family and uncovered important documents of broader importance to share with other researchers.

  • Article linked here

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• Map Seminar: Mapping American Expansion  
  October 31-November 1

  • Meeting Place: Winston-Salem, NC and Virtual

  • Two day seminar on October 31-November 1 focused on westward expansion during the 18th and 19th centuries, and featuring speakers such as Chet Van Duzer, JC McElveen, Wes Brown, Ashley Baynton-Williams, and Zack the Geography Geek.

  • The seminar will also include a map exhibition featuring Boston Rare Maps, Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps, Arader Galleries, and more. 

  • Website: https://mesda.org/program/map-seminar/
     

• A Mistake Map: Did putting El Paso in the wrong spot cost the US 10 million dollars? An article by Shaun Boyd
   

• Karen Pinto, a scholar in the history of Islamic cartography, has a collection of maps on Pixeum.
   

• Curtis Bird has YouTube interviews with various map makers (link)

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• Time Traveler's Map of Denver (link) - A site to compare historic maps of Denver with the current map.

• Follow the Rocky Mountain Map Society on Facebook.

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• The Rocky Mountain Map Society has a YouTube Page now! Past talks are available to view whenever you like. Check it out!

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• The publications by RMMS Members page has recently been updated.​

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• Our friend John Docktor has a wonderful list of all upcoming map events, not just in the USA, but across the pond as well. Please check it out!​

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• RMMS is collaborating with outstanding map societies across the country for some Zoom meetings! Check out their websites!

  • Washington Map Society

  • New York Map Society

  • Chicago Map Society

  • Boston Map Society

  • California Map Society

  • Philip Lee Phillipps Map Society

  • Texas Map Society
     

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