A Life in Maps: Leo Bagrow, Imago Mundi, and the History of Cartography in the Early Twentieth Century

Heffernan, Mike; Delano-Smith, Catherine

Abstract

This essay provides a critical commentary on the life of Leo Bagrow (1881–1957), the founding editor of Imago Mundi, drawing on previously unused correspondence from the journal’s archive, recently catalogued by the British Library in London. Bagrow’s experiences in the three European cities in which he lived and worked (St Petersburg, Berlin and Stockholm) are examined afresh and new insights are provided about the complex intellectual and sometimes political objectives and motivations of Bagrow and his fellow map dealers, map collectors and map historians. Particular attention is paid to the productive but often strained relationships between Bagrow and the expanding global network of map historians with whom he collaborated while establishing and editing Imago Mundi between 1935 and his death. This network was divided into four distinct and to some extent rival constituencies (university academics, map librarians, map collectors and map dealers). The essay examines how Imago Mundi, under Bagrow’s often confrontational editorship, emerged as the central co-ordinating forum through which these constituencies communicated with each other and within which the foundations for the modern discipline of map history were established.

Citation

Heffernan, M., & Delano-Smith, C. (2014). A Life in Maps: Leo Bagrow, Imago Mundi, and the History of Cartography in the Early Twentieth Century. Imago Mundi, 66(Supplement 1), 44-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/03085694.2014.947850

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 5, 2014
• Publication Date: Oct 16, 2014
• Deposit Date: Aug 21, 2017
• Journal: Imago Mundi
• Print ISSN: 0308-5694
• Electronic ISSN: 1479-7801
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 66
• Issue: Supplement 1
• Pages: 44-69
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03085694.2014.947850
• Keywords: Leo Bagrow, Imago Mundi, Historic maps, Map collecting, Map dealing, St Petersburg, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm
• Public URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03085694.2014.947850
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085694.2014.947850