Cartographical Progress: Atlas of the Union of South Africa

Summary

This review article examines three recent cartographic publications that together reflect mid-20th-century developments in mapping theory, practice, and institutionalisation. The first section evaluates *Cartographical Progress*, the proceedings of the 1962 Edinburgh Cartographic Symposium. Filling a gap in British cartographic literature, the volume presents papers on land-use classification, the plastic revolution in map reproduction, colour use, automation pressures in photogrammetry, and a mathematical analysis of Hammer–Aitoff projections. Discussions and resolutions advocate the formation of a national cartographic society. The second section reviews the *Atlas of the Union of South Africa* by A. M. and W. J. Talbot, a comprehensive mid-century resource and socio-economic atlas compiled from government and private sources. Though its 598 maps are largely monochrome and some symbolisation limits clarity, the atlas excels in tracing temporal and spatial trends through meticulous data reassembly, demonstrating the analytical power of thematic atlases. The third section summarises André Libault’s *La Cartographie*, a concise introductory volume emphasising the geodetic foundations of mapping and the critical simplification required when reducing from large-scale surveys. Collectively, the three works highlight cartography’s expanding scope from technical reproduction and colour perception to automation, national atlas design, and the philosophical basis of the map as a geodetically controlled schematic document.