A Jain Cosmographic Map of the Rose‑Apple Continent

In the newest publication from the Map Chat series, Dr. Katherine Anne Paul, the Lead Curator of Asian Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art, explores Jain cosmographic maps to examine perspectives on both the cosmos and the physical world. As you read this article, consider the unique ways these Jain maps illustrate the ideals of a physical world that lays parallel to and interconnected with the spiritual world.

Read the full article → 

In Person · February 5, 6 pm ET · Processing the Environment: A Conversation on Sensors

From the wharves of Boston Harbor to the filled land underneath Back Bay, sensors are all over the place. They collect information about environmental factors, like air quality, water levels, and climate. But how exactly do these tiny pieces of digital infrastructure work, and how do the massive volumes of data that they collect actually get used?

Join us for an in-person discussion about sensors and environmental data, moderated by LMEC staff Ian Spangler and Emily Bowe (co-curators of the Leventhal Center’s current exhibition, Processing Place). You’ll learn about the contemporary digital technologies that quietly monitor the world around us, including what kinds of data can and can’t be collected, how people decide where to install sensors, and how the data is processed and transformed into actionable policies.

Register for the event → 

In Person · February 25, 6 pm ET · Trivia Night with TransitMatters

For those who love our Newsletter Trivia, it’s time to show off your skills. Join us in person with TransitMatters for a live in-person trivia night about Boston transit. Trivia will focus on the theme of transit equity, where knowledge about the city’s rails, routes, streets, and stations is encouraged. Food and drinks will be available to purchase from Newsfeed Café during this event. Map prizes will be awarded to winning teams!

Register for the event → 

Watch: “A Look Behind Processing Place”

Earlier in January, Processing Place co-curators Ian Spangler and Emily Bowe presented to the Washington Map Society about the story behind the Leventhal Center’s current exhibition. In this hour-long talk, they discuss the roots of the collections highlighted in the show, how the these objects can inform understandings of our contemporary lives, and what the show can tell us about the future for archival collections related to the history of computer cartography. A recording of this talk is now available on the Leventhal Center YouTube channel.

Watch the recording → 

BPL Special Collections Fellowships

Our colleagues in the BPL Special Collections department have opened two new research fellowships to support the use of BPL’s Special Collections:

• The Telling Boston’s Stories Fellowship is a four-week fellowship intended to support research projects whose focus is on the people and communities of Boston that are commonly left out of the historical narrative.
• The Surfacing Overlooked Stories Fellowship is an eight-to-ten-week fellowship intended to highlight often overlooked voices and narratives in our collections. The theme for the 2025-2026 Surfacing Overlooked Stories fellowship will be looking into Black life and culture from Boston’s founding in 1630 through Boston’s incorporation as a city in 1822.

The BPL is currently accepting applications for both fellowships and applications are due on Monday, March 3, 2025.

Apply for a fellowship → 

From the Vault January Roundup

In January, we hosted two From the Vault events: New Acquisitions and Reexamining History. The first spotlighted some of the Center’s most recent additions to the collection and the latter featured maps curated in response to Percival Everett’s James, a reimagining of Mark Twain’s novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. James tells a familiar tale from a new perspective, putting Jim, an enslaved man befriended by Huck, at the center of the story.

Read the highlights → 

Newsletter Trivia: Distance to Boston

Tables showing distances between points of interest are often included in maps covering a large geographic area, as these tables quickly allow viewers to understand travel times and relative distances. According to the table on this map, which city is furthest away from Boston?

• San Francisco, California
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Vancouver, Canada
• Portland, Oregon

The answer to last newsletter’s question (“The map shown shows “the true situation of His Majesty’s army, and also those of the rebels” just after which important battle/s”) is the battle of Bunker Hill.

Correct answers will be included in a random draw—the winner will receive the next three Map of the Month club postcards for free. Congratulations to our last winner, Amy! In order to enter, make sure you follow us on Bluesky, Instagram, or Facebook and direct message or email us the answer to the following question. We’ll accept answers until February 10 at 9 am ET.

Message us on Bluesky → 

A treat to get you through the cold weather…

As a token of thanks for all of our newsletter subscribers, we’re offering a discount code for our store at the end of each newsletter. The code changes monthly, so be sure to make it all the way to the end of the newsletter!

We know January was a long month for many, so for the month of February you can get $10 off any order over $35—no code necessary!

Shop the gift store →