试论晚清武昌舆地学会的舆图出版及其经营特点

Characteristics of operation and map publication of Wuchang Mapping Institute in late Qing Dynasty

光绪二十二年(公元1896年)成立的译印西文地图公会(后改称武昌舆地学会)是中国第一个地理学会。学会用西方先进的测绘方法和印刷技术编制出版了七百余幅中外地图,在晚清地图学史上占据着举足轻重的地位。其所绘制出版的地图严谨、科学;用小比例尺绘制地图;地图表示和绘制方法新颖,并经过仔细审查修订;用新式烂铜版法印制地图,开铜版雕刻彩印出版小比例尺地图之先河。学会的经营特点是:集资招股编绘、印制地图不以投资为终极目的;购股者分次付清股票款项;以推广舆地学为务,厘清所筹股金的用途及作用,通过售书偿还股金和利息。

Wuchang Mapping Institute, set up in the twenty-second year of Guangxu reign, was the first geographic institute in China. It translated and published more than 700 Chinese and foreign maps by using advanced western printing technology, and thus has played a pivotal role in the history of cartography in the late Qing Dynasty. This article discusses the founding of Wuchang Mapping Institute, the characteristics of map preparation and printing by the Institute, and operational features of the Institute with a view to modern geographic society as well as the historical development of map in China.