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and Cardinal (1994) and interpret contemporary cultures of map collecting
using a bricollage of different approaches.
Mapping studies have also taken a theoretical and cultural turn in the last
twentyfive years, with mapping increasingly re-thought (see Dodge et al.
2009). Following on from Harley (1989) research has increasingly
focused on the social power of mapping. More recently emphasis has shifted
away from 'power talk', towards a nuanced consideration of how maps
code the world in different contexts, cultures and times (Pickles 2004).
There is a growing emphasis on mapping as a cultural process (see Perkins
2008) and on performance (Brown and Laurier 2005).
In the light of this double critical turn this article offers a preliminary trac-
ing and placing of the contours of map collecting practice.
2- The difference a map makes
Almost all collecting is artifactual and fetishistic (Pearce 1995). All collec-
tors specialize. They want but fear completion, and pursue a systematic
activity with a goal in mind. The notion of collecting as a disease, or form
of therapy has been frequently employed. Serious collectors are obsessed.
The need to acquire or control parallels the addictive nature of the pursuit,
and the pleasure of the hunt. Many collectors acquire material for its his-
torical or aesthetic interest. But what is unique about people who collect
maps and what difference might a
map
make to collecting?
Maps share unique properties that allow people to draw metaphors
between collecting and the process by which geographical knowledge itself
becomes established in mapping (e.g. Pickles 2004 :124-126). The hunt
for maps can be cast as a quest analogous to the history of cartography it-
self (Harvey 2001). So for many collectors the map becomes a souvenir,
narrating a personal spatial story.
Place becomes translated and 'carried' in the map. Knowledge of the
medium and its history may be required to understand the collection. The
conservation challenges of older material demand a form of disciplined
knowledge and practice. However the format of the map is not always
convenient. Wall maps need an appropriate space to hang, and atlases pose
storage problems.
