One of the treasures of the Rare Book Room is our William Patterson Cumming Map Collection.
Johann Homan 1714 Virginia, Maryland & Carolina
Dr. Cumming was the son of missionary parents and came to the U.S. at age 14 to study. He graduated from Davidson in 1921, then went on to study at Princeton and Oxford Universities. He returned to Davidson in 1927 to teach English, where he remained for the rest of his career. Although teaching English literature was his vocation, he became fascinated with maps, beginning with the purchase of a 1676 John Speed map of Carolina, purchased on his honeymoon in England.
John Speed 1676 Carolina
Initially curious about the odd misrepresentations which appreared on the map, Dr. Cumming began his research, and became increasingly interested in the subject of early maps, particularly those of the southeastern U.S.
Emanuel Bowen 1748 Georgia
He continued to collect maps, began writing numerous articles, and in 1958 published the first edition of The Southeast in Early Maps which has become the landmark study of the subject. Dr. Cumming continued to teach, while also becoming acclaimed as the leading expert on early maps of the southeastern U.S.
Sebastian Muenster 1540 North America
Dr. Cumming donated his collection of maps and related materials to the Davidson College Library, and they are now housed in the Rare Book Room. Both for their beauty and their value to scholars, we are indebted to Dr. Cumming.
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