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19TH CENTURY MISSIONARIES’ MAPS OF ETHIOPIA: MEANINGFUL PART OF THE NARRATIVE? [Abstract ID: 0514-05]
Missionaries, like other travelers, published and proposed to their readers maps of Ethiopia in addition to the narrative of their travel in the country. At first glance, the presence of maps in these publications can be explained simply by the need to give to the reader a geographical idea of the country. But a map is not a simple illustration: it definitively reflects an idea of the country. One must consider whether the map proposed and used by missionaries is a part of their narrative and a conscious element – carefully treated, elaborated and developed - of the vision of the country that they want to give to the reader. So this paper aims at presenting the characteristics of maps proposed by missionaries’ publications during the 19th century. This way, it investigates at first the way of production of these maps. How did the missionaries collect their geographical information? Did they used their own network of informants or did they use the previous maps and narratives? Secondly, this paper will question the information given by these maps. Did the religious aspect of Ethiopia have an influence on the data collected and presented in the map? Thirdly, we will consider the way of diffusion of these maps. Finally, we will be able to understand how missionaries used this medium and in which way it represents a part of their narrative about their travel and their vision of Ethiopia.