To celebrate 90 years of cartography at National Geographic and to mark the publication of National Geographic Atlas of the World, 8th Edition, the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., presented an interactive exhibit showcasing the history and diversity of maps and mapmaking from October 28, 2004, to February 13, 2005.

Mapping With Paper and Pixel explored National Geographic's long history of cartographic innovation and leadership, the richness and multiplicity of modern mapping techniques, and maps as an art form.

The centerpiece of the exhibit was a 10-foot-diameter globe, depicting the latest satellite imagery of the world. Other highlights included two rare globes made in 1831 by James Wilson, the first commercial globe maker in the United States; a map of Antarctica signed by polar explorer Richard Byrd; a map of Mount Everest signed by Sir Edmund Hillary; and a variety of satellite and imagery technology provided by Esri, DigitalGlobe, and the Earth Satellite Corporation.

Using Esri's ArcGIS 3D Analyst technology with ArcGlobe, visitors were able to access various interactive globes that showed different ways of charting the world, such as by climate, sea temperature, ocean currents, or biodiversity. In the True Measure of a Mountain section, visitors could use an interactive Esri station to fly over Mount Everest and to move up and down the mountain range. In the Washington, D.C., section, they could zoom in on landmarks, streets, and buildings.

"This exhibit allowed us not only a chance to share our resources with the public," says Susan Norton, director of the National Geographic Museum, "but also to show people the richness and diversity of maps, the skills needed to produce them, and the many ways in which maps help us in our lives."

The National Geographic Museum, 1600 M Street, Washington, D.C., is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For information on the Mapping With Paper and Pixel exhibit, call 202-857-7588.