Informer
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 29, 2006
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Saturday, June 4, 2016
In their so-called ‘Scramble for Africa’ at the end of the 19th century, the British and other European powers divided the continent between themselves.
Modern-day Kenya and Uganda fell under British sway and were named the East Africa Protectorate and the Uganda Protectorate respectively, known together as British East Africa.
The requirement to administer these newly-created protectorates brought with it the need for maps, and inspired the production of mapping of a new order in terms of volume, scale and subject matter. Between 1890 and 1940 British intelligence officers, surveyors and cartographers created a collection built-up and maintained by the British War Office. Sketches, survey sheets and hand-drawn finished maps from this archive are held in the British Library and provide historical information for researchers and general public alike.
Now, for the first time the British East Africa portion of this collection has been opened up to the public worldwide through a digitisation project run by the British Library and funded by the Indigo Trust, a UK based grant making foundation that supports technology-driven projects to bring social change, largely in African countries. Everyone is encouraged to explore the collection of maps, surveys and catalogue records and download high-res digital images for free.
In their so-called ‘Scramble for Africa’ at the end of the 19th century, the British and other European powers divided the continent between themselves.
Modern-day Kenya and Uganda fell under British sway and were named the East Africa Protectorate and the Uganda Protectorate respectively, known together as British East Africa.
The requirement to administer these newly-created protectorates brought with it the need for maps, and inspired the production of mapping of a new order in terms of volume, scale and subject matter. Between 1890 and 1940 British intelligence officers, surveyors and cartographers created a collection built-up and maintained by the British War Office. Sketches, survey sheets and hand-drawn finished maps from this archive are held in the British Library and provide historical information for researchers and general public alike.
Now, for the first time the British East Africa portion of this collection has been opened up to the public worldwide through a digitisation project run by the British Library and funded by the Indigo Trust, a UK based grant making foundation that supports technology-driven projects to bring social change, largely in African countries. Everyone is encouraged to explore the collection of maps, surveys and catalogue records and download high-res digital images for free.
