Portolan Journal

Click HERE to see description and full contents of issue 110.

Printed back issues of The Portolan - Available now, but not much longer. Click HERE to learn more.

 

(Scroll down below cover to read about The Portolan)

The Portolan is published regularly three times per year– Spring, Fall and Winter – and is typically 60-80 pages in length (see note below).  Members can download digital versions of  all issues and also very hi-res versions of issues 65 through the current issue. It is the only journal of its kind published in the Americas focusing on the history of cartography, map collecting, and cartography. The contents of The Portolan are not just articles about local events in Washington. While there are announcements of coming meetings, the contents comprise a rich mix of cartographic interest.

The Portolan is edited, published, and advised by and all-volunteer staff:

  • The Editor of The Portolan is Dr. Leah Thomas – editor@wmsdc.org
  • The Book Review Editor is Dr. Matthew Mingus – reviews@wmsdc.org – for more on the book review program, click HERE.
  • The Editor Emeritus and Fulfillment Manager of The Portolan is Thomas Sander – wms.theportolan@gmail.com   
  • The Editorial Advisory Board of The Portolan consists of:
  • Cyrus Ala’i – London, UK
  • Imre Josef Demhardt – Univ of Texas at Arlington
  • Ralph E. Ehrenberg – Falls Church VA
  • John R. Hebert- Burke VA
  • Peter van der Krogt – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Richard Pflederer – Williamsburg VA

Articles appear with the full text or summaries of many of the past presentations before the Society. For examples, see some representative articles from The Portolan that appear online (click on the titles):

Lauren Bouchard Killingsworth’s prize-winning article on “Mapping Public Health in Nineteenth-Century Oxford.” It appeared in The Portolan, journal of the Washington Map Society (Issue 101 – Spring 2018).  Click HERE for hi-res version of article or HERE for lo-res version.

The Atlases of A.J. Johnson by Ira Lourie (Issue 49 – Winter 2000-2001)
Picturing a Networked Nation: Abraham Bradley’s Landmark U.S. Postal Maps by Larry Caldwell and Michael Buehler (Issue 77 – Spring 2010)
Searching for Early Maps: Use of Online Library Catalogs by Joel Kovarsky (Issue 80 – Spring 2011)
Expanding a Child’s World: Map Books for Children and Young Readers by Marianne McKee (Issue 81- Fall 2011)

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Map Wonks by Leigh Lockwood (Issue 82 Winter 2011)

GPS 1.0 beta, aka Britannia Depicta, or Travel Commentary in Strip Maps by Leigh Lockwood (Issue 85 Winter 2012).  Please see additional images HERE. 

ICHC 2013 in Helsinki - An After Action Report, by Bert Johnson, et al.  Click HERE. 

ICHC 2015 in Antwerp - An After Action Report, by Bert Johnson, et al.  Click HERE. 

  • Advertisers, please click HERE.

  • Members and non-members contribute articles of cartographic interest. Prospective writers, click HERE.

  • Book and CD ROM Reviewers, click HERE. For a listing of past books reviewed, click HERE and scroll down to Book/CD Reviews.

  • The Ristow Prize article is published, and often articles that receive Honorable Mention in the competition.

  • “Recent Publications” is a carto-bibliography of new articles and books in the field. This column has appeared since the journal began and is typically four to six pages in length.

  • Notifications of and summaries of meetings of other U.S./international map societies keep readers aware of activities elsewhere.

The varied mix of material has made The Portolan a publication not just for local members of the Washington Map Society, but also for members and subscribers around the country and the world. Over half its readers live outside the Washington area and seldom have the chance to attend a meeting. Indeed, many private, university and national libraries are subscribers, seeing the value in having The Portolan available to scholars and the general public.

For a chronological listing of all past contents and index of these contents, click HERE.

Portolan Publication/Delivery Schedule – Claims for undelivered issues:

The Portolan is published three times per year.

The Spring issue is published in late March and typically is delivered in April.

The Fall issue is published in late August and typically is delivered in September.

The Winter issue is published in late November and typically is delivered in December.

Claims may be made for undelivered issues – as long as claim is made within four months of the anticipated delivery months noted above.Complete back sets, partial sets and individual issues of The Portolan are available for sale.