Envisioning the American West: Maps, the Representational Barrage of 19th Century Expedition Reports, and the Production of Scientific Knowledge

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Abstract
A striking shaded relief map, created by Baron F. W. von Egloffstein to accompany the report on the first official exploration of the Grand Canyon in 1857-58, represents an important new way of envisioning America's western landscapes. Ideas from the history and sociology of science, art history, and cultural geography are woven together as a means of understanding Egloffstein's map, its cultural and scientific context, and its explicit interrelations with text, illustrations, and panoramic landscape views. The actual production of the illustrations, panoramic views, and maps is examined together with the manner in which these representations served as a vital means in the production of scientific knowledge. As such, this study is a contribution to an understanding of the “visual ways of knowing” in geography and in science. I argue that historical cartographic exemplars can serve as an important means of understanding and informing current theoretical debates in geography, cartography, and geographic visualization.

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