W.K. Morrison

Walter Kenneth Morrison received his Masters of Geography from Clark University in 1952. Before his position as Cartographer Emeritus of the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS), he worked with the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C. While with the magazine, he took part in many innovative projects and helped develop cartographic procedures which became the business standard for forty years. He came to COGS in 1966 when it was called the Nova Scotia Land Survey Institute. He retired in 1985. He was a beloved faculty member and was very generous with both his time and his vast personal collection. Beginning in 2000, he donated a large portion of his book collection to the COGS library and the Walter K. Morrison collection was created. Sadly, Walter passed away in 2011 but he had one more gift to give. He bequeathed the entirety of his remaining collection to NSCC.

Walter’s donated materials are a unique mixed media print collection of historical maps, atlases, periodicals, and books covering over five centuries of advances in geographic knowledge. Notable items include:

• Plates from the famed Atlantic Neptune, J.F.W. DesBarres’ 18th Century atlas of nautical charts
• A complete first run the Gentleman’s Magazine from 1731-1802
• A collection of Nova Scotiana from the 19th and early 20th centuries