Maps for America; Cartographic produces of the U. S. Geological Survey and others

Washington DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1979. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Very good. xiv, 265, [1] pages. Endpaper maps. Illustrations (some in color). Maps. Appendix. Glossary. Selected References. Index. This is a centennial volume 1879-1979, Inscribed by the author to a U.S.G.S. college in 1979 on title page. The author was a noted authority who produced a number of technical publications. This book was first conceived as being devoted entirely to descriptions of the maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. As the project developed, however, it became clear that the story of maps is not complete unless it is properly set in the background of the American mapping effort as a whole. Extension of the scope of the book does not preclude placing emphasis on the Geological Survey mapping program, which is treated in full while other programs are treated only in sufficient detail to provide leads for exploring them Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Modern cartography constitutes many theoretical and practical foundations of geographic information systems. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively. The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to: Set the map's agenda and select traits of the object to be mapped. Traits may be physical, such as roads or land masses, or may be abstract, such as toponyms or political boundaries. Represent the terrain of the mapped object on flat media. This is the concern of map projections. Eliminate characteristics of the mapped object that are not relevant to the map's purpose. This is the concern of generalization. Reduce the complexity of the characteristics that will be mapped. This is also the concern of generalization. Orchestrate the elements of the map to best convey its message to its audience.