The British Cartographic Society

Mick Ashworth, as mad as us about maps and the president of the British Cartographic Society, introduces us to the society and its activity.

Nearly 40 years ago, on the 28th September 1963, a small group of cartographers founded the British Cartographic Society (BCS) with the aim of promoting the art and science of cartography. Today, this well-established and vibrant society retains its central aim, while reflecting in its activities and membership the great changes that have happened in cartography over the last forty years.

Its membership is open to anyone with an interest in maps. Members come from different paths of life and include representatives from the main governmental mapping agencies, major map and atlas publishers, freelance cartographers, map librarians, academics, specialists in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), map collectors, and people who just like maps.

The society publishes The Cartographic Journal twice a year. This is a highly respected and internationally recognised publication. Recent issues have included themes relating to military mapping and a special tribute edition to John Keates, a long-term BCS member who was considered one of the most influential figures in British cartography in the latter part of the 20th century, and who died in 1999.

The newsletter of the society Maplines, published three times a year, continues to keep the membership up to date with the deliberations of Council, reports on the annual symposium and always includes items of news and general cartographic interest.

The Annual Symposium is the society's main event of the year. It provides the membership with an opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new ones, keep up with developments in modern cartography and view the Corporate Members' exhibition. The Symposium is also the scene of the society's annual awards ceremony, at which several awards are presented for excellence in cartography.

The society has three special interest groups currently active. The Map Curators' Group which promotes the professional development of map curatorship, the Design Group which looks at all aspects of map design, and the recently formed Historical Military Mapping Group which acts as a forum for research into all aspects of military mapping. The Map Curators' Group is particularly active and arranges lectures, visits map collections and organises training programmes in map librarianship. Its newsletter, Cartographiti, is published up to three times a year.

The Design Group can be described as a "gathering of slightly anarchistic cartographers, academics, software gurus and interested citizens who not only appreciate cartographic design, but also enjoy changing the misconceptions cartography has about itself." The group holds a number of meetings each year at which the topics discussed range through every facet of design for the mapping process and which commonly include visualisation, perception, expert systems, web design, copyright and software.

The BCS is the UK's adhering body to the International Cartographic Association. The United Kingdom Committee for Cartography (UKCC) is a committee of the BCS established to represent the UK cartographic community in all matters concerning the relationship of the UK with the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and other appropriate international organisations. Members of the committee are selected from all areas of cartography within the UK including commercial, government and academic.

The society has plans to establish and maintain an audit of all UK cartographic activity and it is also planning to actively promote the subject through events and publications and through generally raising the profile of cartography and cartographers within the UK. In all its activities it represents, and is supported by, its very active, enthusiastic, experienced, innovative and international membership.

Author: Mick Ashworth
Date: 1 July 2003
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