Theatre of the World

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

This exhibit was created to introduce viewers to the formative stages of modern cartography, globalism, and the emergence of the interconnected world we now inhabit. It invites you to explore the peoples, cultures, and places that existed before the sweeping transformations of early modern connectivity reshaped them. Through the books, maps, and illustrations presented here, you’ll encounter not just early visions of global space, but the beauty, artistry, and painstaking labor that went into creating them.

The selected materials reflect the wonder, ambition, and representational power that characterized early attempts to grasp and depict the world as a coherent whole. From vivid herbals and travel narratives to intricate atlases and city views, each piece offers a glimpse into how knowledge, geography, and empire coalesced in print.

I hope this collection sparks the same sense of wonder and fascination in you that these objects undoubtedly evoked in their own time.

— Samuel Horewood, PhD Candidate, Duke History Department.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This exhibit would not have been possible without the generous guidance, support, and creativity of many people. I am especially grateful to:

• Andy Armacost
• Margaret Brown
• Yoon Kim, for the exhibition preparation work and the creation of the magnificent posters
• Michael Daul, for the tremendous e-reader
• Aaron Welborn, for the many many edits
• The team at the Digital Production Center, for whose scanning of the Atlas this exhibit so heavily relies

Special thanks to the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation for their support of exhibitions and to the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University for access to the materials featured in this collection.