Atlas of Cuba
FRAtlas de Cuba
Cuba · Prensa de la Universidad de Harvard · 1949
Related Reviews & Articles
A Forgotten Atlas of Erwin Raisz: “Atlas de Cuba”
José Jesús Reyes Nuñez · 2016
The “Atlas de Cuba” was published in 1949 by the Institute of Geographical Exploration at Harvard University. This atlas is result of collaboration between Erwin Raisz, the American cartographer born in Hungary and a Cuban geographer and cartographer, Gerardo Canet. Using Canet’s words in the Introduction, the atlas is “a living picture of Cuban Geography as far as possible in 64 pages”. A total of 34 themes were represented by maps and graphics, presenting the history of the country, its physical geographical characteristics, the major parameters to describe the society (standard of living, health, social composition, government, etc.) and the national economy. The atlas is the rich combination of maps with pictures, charts and text. The authors not only wanted to create an atlas for scientists and specialists with the different topics represented in the maps: their intention was to make all this information available and easily understandable for the public in general. The atlas joined two peculiar cartographic styles: the delicacy of the drawing ability of Erwin Raisz and Canet’s interest to represent the broader spectrum of data collected by him, using all the graphic tools at their disposal to make the atlas more attractive. This little masterpiece of the mid-twentieth century constitutes a gem intentionally ignored by the current Cuban cartography.
Amongst the New Books: Atlas de Cuba
H.N.L. · 1951
This review assesses the Atlas de Cuba, compiled by Gerardo Canet with Erwin Raisz, produced at Harvard University's Institute of Geographical Exploration in collaboration with Cuba's Department of Agriculture. The atlas covers diverse topics, from geological development to detailed statistical maps of population, housing, and production. Despite its creative effort and research depth, the atlas suffers from poor reproduction quality due to cheap paper and fuzzy printing, which undermines its cartographic skill. Nevertheless, the authors largely succeed in delivering a vivid picture of Cuban geography, and the included wall map alone justifies the atlas's modest price.
Book reviews: Across the Florida Strait
Howard A. Meyerhoff; Gerado Canet · 1950
This is a book review of "Atlas de Cuba," a bilingual atlas co-authored by Gerado Canet and Erwin Raisz, published by Harvard University Press in 1949. The review notes that the atlas vividly presents Cuba's geographic, social, and economic backgrounds through maps, diagrams, and pictographs, making it valuable for tourists, businessmen, and students seeking to understand Cuba. The author highly praises Raisz's cartographic skill and creativity, while also pointing out shortcomings such as the lack of basic geographic information on area, elevation, and hydrography. Overall, the review concludes that the atlas successfully achieves its goal of familiarizing readers with Cuba, its people, and its economy.
Tags
Comments
Loading...
0/2000