Maps are as much about imagined worlds as they are about reality. Rarely are they just a means of getting from one place to another. Instead, they transform our thoughts and uncertainties into something we can see, understand, and control. Over six weeks, this course will look at some important aspects of maps to understand how maps function. By putting them into their specific social and cartographic contexts, the course will examine how they represent and convey ideas about the world we live in.

Join this six-week course with Darin Hayton, Associate Professor of History at Haverford College, and the Wagner Free Institute of Science.

This course is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register Here

Monday, September 29 | Skyline Room, 4th Floor | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

About the Professor

Dr. Darin Hayton is a historian of science whose research focuses on the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, especially the science of the stars (astrology and astronomy) in pre-Modern Europe and the late Byzantine Empire. He is Associate Professor of the history of science in the History Department at Haverford College. He has published a book, The Crown and the Cosmos. Astrology and the Politics of Maximilian I and has just finished a second, a study on astrology in the Byzantine world, which he hopes will be published next year. His interests also reach up into the modern period: he has published an article on the local Friends ’Asylum (“The Inmate’s Window”) and recently has published articles in the online magazine, Distillations, that reveal the echoes of history in modern scientific and legal practices (“Good as Gold” and “Disorderly Persons”). He has taught for the Wagner since 2016.

About the Wagner Free Institute of Science
The Wagner is a National Historic Landmark natural history museum and educational institution. Founded in 1855, it is dedicated to providing free science education.  To sign up, follow the link on the Wagner’s website.

Class lecture schedule is as follows; readings will be provided to registrants prior to the first class. Note that no lecture will be held on October 13, 2025. 

1. Monday, September 22, 2025 – Mapping Eden

2. Monday, September 29, 2025 – Early Maps of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia

3. Monday, October 6, 2025 – Maps of Time and Eras

4. Monday, October 20, 2025 – Boundaries and Boundary Disputes

5. Monday, October 27, 2025 – Imaginary Maps

6. Monday, November 3, 2025 – Trap Streets and Other Cartographic Tricks