Map enthusiasts and collectors, interior designers and investors, history and antique lovers can enjoy four days from October 16-19 that will cover every aspect of the art of maps with scholarly lectures, displays and the opportunity to purchase antique and modern maps in all price ranges. 

The four-day celebration of maps begins in Arlington on October 16-17 at the University of Texas at Arlington Central Library (UTA) with lectures by scholars from Texas and Colorado and a display of about 100 rare 19^th century maps. UTA has one of the finest cartography collections of Texas and the Gulf of Mexico in the world. The activities continue in Dallas on October 18-19 at the Museum of Biblical Art with the Map Fair of The West, which is being held in Dallas for the first time.  It is a gathering of the finest map dealers from across the U.S. and Europe who will offer maps for sale. All activities will be hosted by the Texas Map Society, the Rocky Mountain Map Society and University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections. 

The registration fee for the Garrett Lectures at UTA is $100 and includes all lectures, meals, breaks and entry to the Map Fair of the West. To see the schedule of events and lectures, the roster of map dealers and to register, go to http://www.regonline.com/garrett-2014.   For those who only wish to attend the Map Fair of the West, admission is $5, payable at the door. 

The presentations at UTA make up the 9^th Biennial Virginia Garrett Lectures on the History of Cartography.  Under this year’s theme, “The Price of Manifest Destiny: War and American Expansion, 1800-1865,” the speakers will examine the impact of U.S. expansion as it was reflected in maps from the time of Thomas Jefferson to the end of the U.S. Civil War. The lectures will also examine how maps reflect Mexico’s loss of territory after war with the U.S. and the intensified political problems resulting within the young Mexican republic -- a very timely topic with Texas/Mexico border issues still in the headlines today. 

The Garrett Lectures will feature an exhibit of about 100 rare 19^th-century maps illustrating the conference’s theme. Highlights include U.S.-Mexico War battle maps hand-drawn by U.S. Army engineers and an 1819 map of Mexico, Louisiana, and Missouri Territory that labels Pike’s Peak for the first time in cartographic history. 

The Map Fair of the West at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas on October 18-19 is an extravagant shopping event for map collectors and the general public bringing in map dealers from around the U.S. and Europe.  For the first time in Texas, visitors can explore the offerings of 16 dealers in a single location. According to Gerald Saxon, president of the Texas Map Society, “This is the first year the Map Fair has come to the DFW area, giving people in Texas and the region an opportunity to talk with the finest map dealers in the world and to see and purchase rare and historically significant maps.” From purchasers who are looking to make a modest investment to those who are interested in the rare and unusual, maps in every price range will be offered. 

In addition, a special exhibit, “Maps of the Holy Land” will be on display at the Museum, and the Map Fair will feature lectures on how to care for and repair antique maps, and background and tips for understanding and collecting Biblical maps. 

The Map Fair of the West will be open from 10am to 5pm on October 18 and 10am to 4pm on October 19.  Admission to the Museum is included in the $5 admission price for the Map Fair, payable at the door.  

For more information about the Garrett Lectures and the Map Fair of the West, visit http://www.regonline.com/garrett-2014.