
Celebrating AGSL’s Leardo Mappamundi
February 19 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
One of the American Geographical Society Library’s most cherished holdings, the 1452 Mappamundi by the Venetian cartographer Giovanni Leardo, is undergoing multispectral imaging this winter. Join us for a series of events, starting with a talk by AGSL Curator Marcy Bidney on Wednesday, February 19.
There are only three Leardo mappamundi left in the world. One of them is held here in Milwaukee at the AGSL, and the other two are held at libraries in Italy. In fall 2024, Bidney traveled to Italy to see the maps themselves. In this talk she will discuss the Leardo maps and their place in the history of cartography, her visits to the libraries in Italy, and some of the other treasures she was able to see from their collections.
Bidney’s talk will be held at 3:00 p.m. in the AGSL, located on the third floor of the UWM Golda Meir Library, 2311 E. Hartford Ave.
A team from the Lazarus Project will visit AGSL in March to image the Leardo, and will offer a public lecture on Wednesday, March 12.
Image: Giovanni Leardo, “Mappamundi,” 1452