Society and culture: The International Scientific Conference “Revealing the cultural heritage: new challenges for libraries, archives and museums” in Saint-Petersburg

October 8-9, 2013 at the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg is held the International Scientific Conference “Revealing the cultural heritage: new challenges for libraries, archives and museums”.

The conference is organized by the National Library of Russia, the Netherlands Institute in Saint-Petersburg and the Petrovsky Historical Society. The Scientific Conference is dedicated to new trends and experience in the field of development and use of digital collections of materials of the cultural heritage.

October 9, as part of the conference in the Korf Hall of the National library will be held a unique exhibition “Art of the Dutch atlas of the XVI-XVII centuries and Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)”. The exposition is based on materials of the largest Russian collection of Dutch atlases, stored in the Department of Cartography of the NLR.

The exhibition will feature atlases of famous cartographers of the Golden Age of the Dutch Cartography. Among the exhibits are copies of the title pages, various illustrations, placed on maps, cartouches and other unique cartographic additions expressing certain ideological views of authors.

The exposition at the NLR will provide a unique opportunity to present art significance of works of Dutch masters, who have made a significant contribution to the art design of maps and atlases.

All the materials of the exhibition will be presented for the first time.

The exhibition will feature a facsimile copy of the first printed atlas of the world, published by Abraham Ortelius in 1570 «Theatrum orbis terrarium», the creation of which the author was called by contemporaries “Ptolemy of the XVI century”. A facsimile copy is prepared by the publishing house “Alfaret”. Only on the opening day it will be presented the original of this atlas.