Wednesday Notes

The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection has over 15,800 maps online. The collection is strong in 18th and 19th century maps of North and South America, but it includes maps of the World, Africa, Asia, and Europe. There, you can also view fine art images and Japanese Historical Maps from the Amica Library. Hat tip.

At Paleo-Future, Matt has a collection of beautiful postcards distributed by the German chocolateer, Hildebrands. Published around 1900, they depict scenes of the world a century later.

Michiko Kakutani,"Nixon and Kissinger," NYT, 24 April, reviews Robert Dallek's Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power.

Adam Clymer,"Scholars and Officials Alike Gather in Schlesinger Tribute," NYT, 24 April, and Eric Alterman at Altercation, 24 April, report on Monday's memorial service for Arthur Schlesinger at Cooper Union.

Finally, Scott McLemee's"Critical Mass," IHE, 25 April, takes up the problem of newspapers without book reviews. Currently, you can join UNC's John Shelton Reed, Louis D. Rubin and Kate Torrey, Florida State's C. Peter Ripley, Atlanta's Melissa Fay Greene, Ann Applebaum of the Washington Post, Katha Pollitt of The Nation, H. W. Brands of the University of Texas, novelists Bobbie Ann Mason, Madison Smartt Bell, Reynolds Price, and Clyde Edgerton, James Cobb and John Inscoe of the University of Georgia, Todd Gitlin of Columbia, Caleb Crain, Jon Dresner, Adam Kotsko, and Rick Perlstein, Belfast's Catherine Clinton, Emory's Patrick Allitt and Leslie Harris, Scott, me, and over 3300 other readers in petitioning the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to re-instate its book review editor, Teresa Weaver, and to continue publishing book reviews.