NCWC: The Arts

JOHNSON COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINA MAPS

The Collection consists of approximately 23 maps of North Carolina which have been donated to the College. The Collection, and other maps, were on exhibit at the College during the Fall of 1996. The College Press has published a catalogue raisonné of this exhibition.

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Tar Heel Maps: Colony and State 1590-1995

A Catalogue of Maps of North Carolina on Exhibit at North Carolina Wesleyan College
Gregory W. Williams and Allen S. Johnson
Rocky Mount, NC: North Carolina Wesleyan College Press, 1996

From the Preface to Tar Heel Maps:

The selection of the maps to be included in the exhibit has been governed by one overriding consideration: the physical space available to display the maps. Many had to be excluded because there would not be room for them. Maps of the 20th Century, when there has been little change in the physical, political, or economic information available, have been limited to three present-day maps, largely for purposes of comparison with the earlier material.

The exhibit and the monograph are studies in historical cartography. They attempt to analyze the printed maps of the pre-colonial region, the Colony, and the State of North Carolina. The expansion of geographical knowledge from earliest discovery, and the political, economic, and social changes that came about as settlement was undertaken and as the Colony and State grew are reflected in the maps and commented on in the text.

The introductory essay, entitled "Four Hundred Years of North Carolina Maps," is intended to offer historical insights into the events and developments reflected in the maps themselves. The technical information accompanying each map gives the author, publisher, date of publication, dimensions, a description of the map and its distinctive characteristics, and a list of references. Although the two sections are the product of collaboration by both authors, the historical essay was mainly written by Allen S. Johnson and the technical comments by Gregory W. Williams.

Our collaboration on this project began in the Fall of 1995 when Williams presented a collection of maps of North Carolina to North Carolina Wesleyan College. But in a way, it began much earlier, in the fall of 1971, when Williams entered Wesleyan as a freshman and enrolled in a course called Western Man, taught by Allen S. Johnson and Jack E. Teagarden. That course, twelve semester hours in fall and spring and four weeks in May in Great Britain, introduced the freshman to the history of English speaking civilization. Over Williams' next three years as a history major in pre-law preparation, a firm friendship took shape between professor and student. In the years since, as Williams studied law at Wake Forest University (Johnson's alma mater) and practiced law in Delaware, contacts continued. When Dr. John White suggested to us that we plan an exhibit of North Carolina maps and a monograph to accompany and memorialize the same, we viewed this project as an opportunity to work together on two subjects which have intrigued us for years: maps and the history of North Carolina.

The authors wish to acknowledge obligations to the numerous people who helped them in preparing the exhibit and the monograph.

Dr. John White, former President of the College, and Jeanne Kerstiens, former Director of Alumni Relations, suggested the idea of an exhibit and provided constant support throughout. The staff of the North Carolina Wesleyan College Library, particularly Albert J. LaRose and Kathy Winslow, were especially helpful in gathering bibliography and in making available the Hardee-Rives Book Room for our editorial labors. Professor Everett Adelman of the College's Art Department spent untold hours preparing the exhibit display. Linda P. Stallone, former Vice-President for Development, former Director of Public Relations Madeline C. Walls, and former Publications Assistant Earlene W. Stewart managed many of the details of publication. Dr. Ronald E. Grim and the staff of the Geography and Map Division at the Library of Congress were extremely helpful during the many hours spent researching the technical and historical details on each map. Gregory W. Williams' research assistant, Lauren Dickerson Webb, provided invaluable aid. Susan Danforth of the John Carter Brown Library and Wynne Dough of the Outer Banks History Center rendered research assistance. And last, but far from least, our wives, Diane D. Williams and Leigh H. Johnson, deserve a tremendous vote of thanks for their tolerance of our enthusiasm for this project, their encouragement, and their physical assistance.

A number of map dealers were kind enough to assist in putting together this collection over the years. At the risk of possibly leaving someone out, our thanks to the following:

Robert Augustyn of Martayan Lan Augustyn, Jo Ann and Richard Casten, Paul Cohen of Richard B. Arkway, Inc., Don Cresswell of The Philadelphia Print Shop, Jim Dawson of Unicom Bookshop, Richard Fitch-Old Prints & Maps, Murray Hudson and Ed Rich of Murray Hudson Antiquarian Books and Maps, Capt. Kit Kapp, Paul Mahoney of The Old Map Gallery, G. B. Manasek, Inc., Kevin Moore and John Schroeder of Cape James Antiquarian Books & Maps, Ltd., George Robinson of Old Prints & Maps, Jack Sandberg of The Yellowhouse, and Thomas Suarez.

Lastly, our thanks to Russell Morrison, et al., whose work, On The Map, about maps of the Chesapeake Bay area, was a guide and inspiration in the compilation of this work.