{"415961":{"#nid":"415961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Personal love of map making brings Provost to atlas exhibit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA Gathering of Continents,\u201d a rare exhibition of Georgia Tech\u2019s editions of Joan Blaeu\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EGrooten Atlas, \u003C\/em\u003Ewill wrap up its run July 10 at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking after more than four months on display.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut before the atlases are removed from view, one well-known name had to see the rare collection \u2013 not as a representative of Georgia Tech, but as a collector himself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Rafael Bras, who has been a collector for years, said Georgia Tech was incredibly fortunate to have the nine volume Atlas in its collection of rare books, and the campus was just as fortunate the exhibit could be housed at the museum and open to the public.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is a wonderfully well put together exhibit,\u201d Dr. Bras noted. \u201cI cannot imagine a more appropriate exhibition at the Williams Paper Museum. The Blaeu Atlas represents the best of cartography of the time, the best of paper making and extraordinarily beautiful illustrations of our world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a collector, Dr. Bras said he continues to be in awe of both the science and beauty of the art form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo a map collector like me, Blaeu is like the da Vinci of cartographers of the golden 17th century period when the Netherlands dominated map making. I collect them because of what they teach me of the evolution knowledge of the geography of our work and because they simply are beautiful works of art.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe preservation and care of these maps is equally impressive to Bras.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI never cease to be amazed at how these Atlases and maps survive after more than 300 years of wandering around the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuseum Director Teri Williams said Bras\u2019 visit underscored the level of interest the exhibit has received since opening in February.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe appeal is massive and so diverse,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had hundreds of visitors, from school children and college students to historians and collectors. It has been an incredible honor to house this collection.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe museum was joined by Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and Georgia Tech\u2019s Price Gilbert Memorial Library in sponsoring the exhibit, which gives visitors a unique passport back in time to the early mappings of the earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExhibited maps include European views of Africa, the Americas and Asia, depicting important trade routes and ports. Detailed views of European cities and countries provide insight into a continent developing the geopolitical regions known today. Original volumes of the atlas will be on exhibit along with reproductions of select maps from the collection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVisitors will follow the advancements of this revolutionary era as the study of astronomy, the development of papermaking, printmaking and mapmaking culminate in Blaeu\u2019s atlas. A second-generation mapmaker, his extensive research and attention to detail provide important examples of evolving cartographic technologies and rich material exploring the idea of Europe after the Thirty Years War.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information regarding the exhibit, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.paper.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.paper.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E or call 404.894.7840.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Collection will remain an additional two weeks at museum"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Collection will remain an additional two weeks at museum"}],"uid":"28159","created_gmt":"2015-06-17 14:40:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:41","author":"Kelly Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"415941":{"id":"415941","type":"image","title":"Bras, Dr. Rafael Provost and Knoespel, Professor Kenneth","body":null,"created":"1449254258","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:37:38","changed":"1475895152","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:32","alt":"Bras, Dr. Rafael Provost and Knoespel, Professor Kenneth","file":{"fid":"202521","name":"dr._bras_-_atlas_exhibit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dr._bras_-_atlas_exhibit_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dr._bras_-_atlas_exhibit_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6887853,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dr._bras_-_atlas_exhibit_0.jpg?itok=jM3ow1EZ"}}},"media_ids":["415941"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"}],"keywords":[{"id":"119671","name":"atlas"},{"id":"12815","name":"Bras"},{"id":"126","name":"exhibit"},{"id":"7076","name":"map"},{"id":"6708","name":"museum"},{"id":"2106","name":"Paper"},{"id":"937","name":"provost"},{"id":"4174","name":"renewable"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly B. Smith, RBI Marketing \u0026amp; Communication\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kelly.smith@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}