Katie Parker
@kparkerhistorian
Cartographic Collections Manager at the RGS-IBG. Teach history of London architecture at NYU London. Cultural historian interested in books, maps, museums, exploration, and the early modern maritime world, esp. the Pacific.
Wonderful, rare morning at my intellectual happy place, @britishlibrary.bsky.social , researching globes. Thanks to the Maps Room team for welcoming me back! #maps #skystorians 🗃️
Lovely afternoon sharing a new set of table-top displays (the Pacific and the @rgs.org , inner-Australian expeditions (1830-80)) with the @captcooksociety.bsky.social . #maps #skystorians 🗃️
Glad to have stumbled on Our Life is Here, response pieces from artists who went to the Marshall Islands to see how it is responding to past nuclear testing and the current climate crisis. See it at the #nationalmaritimemuseum in #greenwich. #Pacifichistory
That’s a wrap on #ichc2026! A wonderful week of mappy research and discussion! Every one of those stairs was worth #maps #skystorians 🗺️🗃️
In awe after a wonderful visit to Strahov Monastery. Two magnificent library halls shared with us by one of the monks. #ichc2026 #libraries #prague
Luis Robles Macias is discussing his recent research identifying the Walpole, a ship tracked on Portolan 40 in the @rgs.org collections
Radu Leca featured a gem of the @rgs.org collections, a tracing of a Japanese map of Mount Fuji on an oil rain coat.
Delighted to see the print version of this special issue on #women and #maps from the Cartographic Journal! #maphistory #skystorians 🗃️
The heat wave has caused many shifts and cancellations, but I benefit from getting to tune in to this talk by Matthew Edney, hosted by University of Warwick. #maps #mappingasprocess 🗃️
Thrilled to spend a day discussing #maritimehistory with Society for Nautical Research colleagues in #Liverpool. Heritage vessels, new research, and more from @clairejowitt.bsky.social and others. #skystorians 🗃️
Wonderful Awards & Medals ceremony last night @rgs.org . Best part was celebrating this amazing librarian and friend—so well deserved, Marcy!
Large, excited crowd to hear from Rose Mitchell, recently retired from the National Archives, speak at the #LondonMapFair. 1/2
Had a great wander around the #GardenMuseum. Loved the gnomes, obviously, and the immersive temporary exhibition on Benton End house, garden, and art school in Suffolk in the 1950s. #museum #london 🗃️
Enjoyed the Churchill War Rooms, which are remarkably preserved. The Map Room was obviously my fav part! #maps 🗃️
Brilliant day with the @bricmics.bsky.social crew at the Prince Philip Maritime Conservation Centre and the National Maritime Museum. Thanks to Tim May for sharing amazing objects and all the great curatorial work you are doing! #maps #maritimehistory 🗃️
Just made it to the Maps & Society lecture by Anthony Terry on South Seas Waggoners @warburginstitute.bsky.social . This is John Thornton’s chart of the Indian Ocean held @bodleian.ox.ac.uk, one of many gems we are seeing in this talk. #maps 🗃️
Don’t miss Rich Miller’s (of Great Pottery Throw Down fame!) exhibition, Fired Legacies, at the Watts Gallery. Intricate critiques and explorations of empire in ceramics. #exhibition #skystorians 🗃️
Made it to Hawai’i: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans and wasn’t disappointed. It is carefully, insightfully curated and getting to see the ‘ahu ‘ula (feather cloaks) in all their glory is stunning. #britishmuseum #museum 🗃️
Tiny research assistant loved Tudor Day at the Old Royal Naval College. We learned about blacksmithing, baking, and washing. There were lots of knights (people in armor), “just like Zog, mummy”
My students LOVED their parakeet-themed walking tour of St James’s Park by artist Christie Swallow. They learned about #ecology , #architecture , and history of London’s green spaces 🗃️
Me to tiny research assistant (TRA) after walking onto the main floor at V&A East Storehouse: Me: what do you see? TRA: everything! He loved walking on the glass viewing windows and seeing the motorbike. Fascinating time in a working #museum store. #vaeaststorehouse
Was a pleasure to host the conference on the National Committee for Information Resources on Asia @rgs.org yesterday. Papers discussed digitising collections, from palm manuscripts to oracle bones to stone inscriptions, & we had a pop-up display of some of our Asian materials. 🗃️
Perfect morning perusing @williammorrissocuk.bsky.social exhibitions at the Coach House of Kelmscott House. Got the press all to myself! Many thanks to Vanessa, Arianna, and the team for your hospitality. #printhistory #museum #skystorians