Skip to main content

28.05.2019

On the 31 May 2019, Carto-Cymru – The Wales Map Symposium 2019: Humphrey Llwyd, Inventor of Britain will take place at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

The half-day symposium, organized jointly with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, and in association with the AHRC funded project ‘Inventor of Britain’, will focus on the work and influence of Humphrey Llwyd, the father of Welsh cartography.

The National Library of Wales and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales are home to a wealth of cartographic material. The event will be an opportunity for those interested in the field to develop their understanding of their collections.

As well as a program of presentations, the National Library of Wales' map curator will run a series of guided tours around one of the Library's current exhibitions – Inventor of Britian: The Life and Work of Humphrey Llwyd. The symposium is among a series of events and activities organized and held during the run of the exhibition, which will remain open until 29 of June 2019. In Inventor of Britain, visitors can see a selection of Llwyd's most important works, including several copies of his famous map of Wales and a letter he wrote to Ortelius on his deathbed.

Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian at the National Library of Wales said:

"Where better to hold a map symposium than the National Library of Wales, which is home to the largest map collection in Wales, and one of the largest in the World? The symposium will showcase the wealth of our national map collection and give us an opportunity to celebrate Humphrey Llwyd’s incredible contribution to Welsh life and learning.”

Speakers include:

Keith Lilley
Professor of Historical Geography, Queen’s University Belfast

Joost Depuydt
Curator of Typographical and Technical Collections, Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp;

James January-McCann
Place Names Officer and Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

Huw Thomas, Map Curator at The National Library of Wales added:

“This year we have teamed up with the AHRC funded research project 'Inventor of Britain' which is studying Llwyd's works and the event will include a presentation on some of the exciting results from the project. The format is slightly different this year with a tour of our current Humphrey Llwyd exhibition and some Llwyd related treasures from the Commission's collections as well as the lectures. It promises to be a really great day!”

Notes to Editors:
The National Map Collection held at the National Library of Wales contains over a million sheets of maps, charts and plans as well as thousands of atlases. It is the largest map collection in Wales, and one of the largest in the World. The collection contains a wide range of materials from the latest electronic mapping to 16th century maps and charts on vellum. The collection specialises in Welsh material; but also has a large number of items covering the rest of the world.

Tickets:
events.library.wales

#CartoCymru
#LoveMaps
#InventorofBritain
#HumphreyLlwyd450

Further Information

Elen Hâf Jones
post@llgc.org.uk    or
01970 632 534