I found a neat article in today’s Chicago Tribune. Thirty-seven Chicago institutions will be particpating in a “Festival of Maps.” The exhibition is a collaboration of institutions like the Newberry Library, the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Polish-American Museum, Northwestern University Library, and the University of Chicago, Special Collections Research Center. According to a Chicago Tribune article,

“The Field Museum will stage the centerpiece exhibit for the festival from Nov. 2 through Jan. 27. That exhibit, “Maps: Finding Our Place in the World,” features many of the 100 “greatest” maps among the 130 artifacts it has pulled together, borrowing from collections held by the Vatican, the British royal family, libraries and other collectors around the world…

“The Newberry Museum will trace the rise of the American West, beginning with very early exploratory maps. The exhibit shows Chicago’s growth from a tiny dot into a metropolis and key transportation center. The Chicago History Museum will show off historic mapping techniques that recorded population densities, changing infrastructure and transit systems through Chicago’s history.”

As a self-professed map enthusiast, I’m already looking at days off so my daughter and I can go see some of the exhibits! You can learn more about the events at the festival website, www.festivalofmaps.com