Steven J. Pieragastini
A scholar of modern Chinese and world history, drawn to maps of East Asia and beyond the Western tradition.
I come to Geographicus from a background in academia, focused on modern Chinese and world history — which naturally draws me to maps of and from East Asia. I'm also drawn to Russian/Soviet maps, Ottoman maps, and maps from non-Western languages or cartographic traditions.
These maps are exciting because they offer alternative perspectives — not just on historical events, but on geographic knowledge itself, and even on what counts as a "map." They're also generally less cataloged and less familiar to the trade, which means real opportunities to introduce new material for collectors and scholars alike.
Monthly Digest of Steven's Picks
Early Plans of Abu Dhabi's Stunning Grand Mosque.
This is a set of four c. 1996 diazotype or whiteprint sheets prepared by the firm Tractebel Al Khaleej laying out plans for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The magnificent structure, the third-largest mosque in the world (after those in Mecca and Medina), was conceived by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the architect of modern Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates, and became his final resting place upon his death in 2004. (more details)
First printed map of Tabriz.
نقشه دارالسلطنه تبریز / [Map of Dār al-Salṭana (the Royal City) Tabriz].
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This rare 1880 Persian-language map of Tabriz, Iran, was prepared by engineer Mohammad Reza and military officer Colonel Qarajadāghī at the pioneering Tabriz Darulfunun (Tabriz State School). It is notable not only as one of the few surviving Persian-language maps from the 19th century and as the most detailed map of Tabriz at the time, but also for reflecting the situation of Tabriz and Qajar Iran. Located in the far northwest of Iran, Tabriz was on the front lines of a decades-long imperial tug-of-war between Qajar Iran, Tsarist Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. The city's proximity to Europe also supported a flourishing commercial economy and the early introduction of new technologies and practices, including recent developments in lithographic printing and scientific surveying. (more details)
Abu Dhabi on the Cusp of Independence and Modernization.
مَدِينَةُ أَبُو ظَبِي الحَدِيثَة [Modern Abu Dhabi City]. / عَامَانِ زَاهِيَان فِي تَارِيخِ إِمَارَةِ أَبُو ظَبِي [Two Glorious Years in the History of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi].
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This is a rare 1968 folding map of Abu Dhabi, appearing in the scarce Arabic edition of the Two Glorious Years in the History of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The map and book were published in a period of rapid transformation for the emirate, which was preparing for independence and implementing the early phase of a radical modern urban plan. (more details)
Rare Peek into Daily Life in the Emirates during the 1950s.
ساحل عمان [Coast of Oman]. / الإمارات السبع على الساحل الأخضر [The Seven Emirates on the Green Coast].
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This is a 1957 map of the Trucial States, the future United Arab Emirates, that appeared in the book The Seven Emirates on the Green Coast, written by Ahmad Qasim Al-Burini. Al-Burini's account is one of the most detailed historical accounts of the emirates in this formative period. (more details)
American - Chinese - Japanese exchange in Yokohama.
橫濱異人商館之圖 / [View of Foreign Merchant House in Yokohama].
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An absorbing 1861 depiction of Japanese-foreign interactions in Yokohama, this ukiyo-e triptych was prepared by Sadahide, the great chronicler of the treaty port in its early years, and published by Sanoya Kihei. It is notable, among other features, for revealing the three-way exchange between Westerners, Chinese, and Japanese in Yokohama. (more details)
Monumental Coda for the Tokugawa Era.
東海道名所圖會 / [Illustrations of Famous Places on the Tokaido].
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An epic twelve-panel ukiyo-e woodblock print panorama, this work, covering the Tokaido Road between Edo and Kyoto, was produced in 1864 by Utagawa Yoshitora, one of the master woodblock print artists of the era. Published near the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, it celebrates one of the regime's paramount achievements and the 'famous places' (名所) along it. (more details)
Pursuing Peace in Shanghai.
The Reader's Map of the Sino-Japanese Conflict In and Around Shanghai / A Plan for the Administration of the Shanghai Area.
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A unique discovery! This 1932 map of Shanghai was produced by Henry Monsel Cumine, a 'Eurasian' (biracial) architect and real estate developer in the city. It was created during the 1932 Sino-Japanese conflict over Shanghai, also known as 'the Shanghai Incident,' which destroyed a portion of the city and was a prelude to even worse destruction five years later in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The map is accompanied by a 'private and confidential' plan, addressed to a French admiral who commanded French forces in Shanghai, to end the conflict and establish the city as a demilitarized zone. (more details)
Wargaming for kids.
日清戦争軍功双六 / [Sino-Japanese War Military Exploits Sugoroku].
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A fascinating relic of Japanese popular culture during the First Sino-Japanese War, this is an 1894 sugoroku game produced by Fukuda Kumajirō. Illustrating a birds-eye view of the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China, it paints a background of naval and land battle scenes for players to progress across to reach the finish line (agari) at Beijing (Pekin). (more details)
Opening of Treaty Port Nagasaki.
肥前長崎圖 / [Map of Nagasaki in Hizen].
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A colorful c. 1860 ukiyo-e woodblock map of Nagasaki, published by Baikōdō. It displays the port city in the wake of its opening to foreign trade as a treaty port, superseding its earlier role as Japan's outlet to the world via exclusive trade with Chinese and Dutch merchants. (more details)
Japan's First Railway Line.
新橋鐵道蒸汽車之圖 / 東京銀座煉瓦石繁榮之圖 [View of the Prosperity of Brick and Stone Buildings in Tokyo's Ginza District / View of a Steam Train on the Shimbashi Railway].
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This 1873 ukiyo-e triptych by Kunisada III depicts the Tokyo-Yokohama steam train and Shimbashi Station, Japan's first modern railway and Tokyo's first train station, respectively. The view also presents the neighborhood of Ginza, rebuilt following a fire the previous year as a showpiece of modernization by the Meiji government. As a whole, this triptych is among the best such works to neatly encapsulate the rapid changes underway in the early Meiji period. (more details)
From imperial capital to modern metropolis.
北京内外城街市詳圖 / [Detailed Street Map of the Inner and Outer Cities of Beijing].
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This is a c. 1930 Chinese-language map of Beijing published by the Zhengwen Bookstore. It illustrates the city's transition from imperial capital to modern city, fitted out with streetcars, plumbing, railway stations, and telegraphs. (more details)
The Pacific War begins to turn in the favor of the Allies.
改新世界時局要圖 北太平洋-北アメリカ篇 / [Revised Map of the Global Situation: North Pacific and North America].
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This is a 1943 Serizawa Keigo Japanese map of the northern Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Soviet Far East made during World War II (1939 - 1945). It reflects Japanese interest in the Pacific at the height of the naval and island-based conflict with the United States during World War II. (more details)
Manga satire of PM Yoshida's 5th Cabinet.
Minister Fuji Mountain Trail Guide Map. / 大臣富士登山口案内図 / Political Boss Faction Water Vein Map. / 政界親分・子分水脈図
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A very curious double-sided map / diagram satirizing the Fifth Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida (1878 - 1967), in power from May 31, 1953, to December 10, 1954. The recto (front) presents a trail map to the summit of Mount Fuji - symbolizing Japan. Yoshida sits atop, smoking a large cigar, while along the way the Christian socialist Tetsu Katayama (1887 - 1978) appears as a monument. At the base of the mountain, Yoshida's cabinet secretaries, each representing an aspect of Japanese governance, work their way to the top via various 'gates' or 'trails.' Some suffer mishaps along the way. The verso (back) offers a similarly intriguing map/diagram of the national political/academic/business/bureaucratic system, represented as a series of interconnected rivers flowing into a sea/nation. (more details)
One of World War II's forgotten fronts.
ビルマ - インド詳圖 / [Detailed Map of Burma and India].
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This is a 1942 Asahi Shimbun Japanese map of Burma, India, and surrounding territories, made in the context of the Burma Campaign of World War II (1939 - 1945). When this map was published, Japanese forces were advancing northwards in Burma after having rapidly conquered the capital, Rangoon. It was issued to celebrate the victory and promote the war effort on the home front. (more details)
Battleships and cosmetics.
世界現勢國防大地圖 / [Current Map of Global National Defenses].
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This is a rare 1936 world map published in Hinode (日の出), a popular Japanese magazine, showing the comparative military strength of major world powers. The map augurs Japan's coming conflicts with China in 1937 and Western powers in 1941. (more details)
Manchuria just after the establishment of Manchukuo.
吉林省 / [Jilin Province].
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This is a c. 1932 manuscript map of Jilin Province, Manchuria, China, drawn by Cui Wende. Drawn just after the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, it highlights critical rail infrastructure, the backbone of Japanese influence in Manchuria even before the establishment of Manchukuo. (more details)