Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret Maps of a Forgotten Map Library

James Cheshire spent three years sifting through the dusty drawers of the University College London (UCL) Map Library to research his book The Library of Lost Maps. He was astonished to uncover many maps that were top secret when they were printed. This talk will share James’s discoveries, which span everything from clandestine Nazi invasion maps and a copy of a grand atlas censored by Stalin, to pioneering maps of the ocean floor.

While many map libraries have been closed, and their contents dispersed, the UCL Library somehow escaped this fate, and indeed received many maps over the years that might not have survived if they hadn’t been added to the collection in the heart of London. The maps themselves often display novel and ingenious ways of presenting the world. The stories of their making, their uses and how they came to be stored in this forgotten room are enthralling.

James Cheshire is Britain’s only Professor of Geographic Information and Cartography. Based at University College London, he is a world-leading map maker and his cartographic creations have been enjoyed by millions. James is an elected fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and has been recognised with many prestigious awards from the likes of the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the British Cartographic Society. His co-authored book Atlas of the Invisible won the American Association of Geographer’s Globe Award. When he is not making, writing about, or teaching with maps, James spends his time scouring eBay for them in the hope that one day he’ll have a map library of his own.