Reception in the Archives and Rare Books Library to Celebrate Gift of Historic London Map

Through the generosity of University of Cincinnati professor emeritus J. Keith Stewart and his wife Betty, the John Rocque 1749 Map of London, one of the most extraordinary cartographic achievements of the 18th century, is now installed in the Archives & Rare Books Library. 

On Monday, April 22, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate this wonderful gift with a reception from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the Reading Room of the Archives & Rare Books Library located on the 8th floor of Blegen Library. At 3:30, dean and university librarian Xuemao Wang will provide welcoming remarks followed by Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, who will speak on the map’s history and its gift by Keith and Betty Stewart. Holly Prochaska, head of Preservation Services and Lab, will speak on the work to preserve and restore the map. An exhibit of 18th-century London-published rare books will complement the map’s unveiling.

Professor Stewart, who passed away on April 3, was a key partner in developing the university's excellent 18th-century British literature rare book holdings during his tenure in the McMicken College of Arts and Science’s Department of English. The map, which measures 13 feet long and 6.5 feet high, is a capstone to his lifelong love of literature and of England.

The reception is open to all.