Alice Hudson passes away after a lifetime dedicated to historic maps

In the United States, Alice Hudson, a distinguished librarian known for her significant contributions to cartography, passed away on November 6, 2024. She was 77 years old and had been residing in a senior living facility in Manhattan at the time of her death. Hudson's career was marked by her leadership in the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division at the New York Public Library, where she served as chief from 1981 to 2009. During her tenure, she remarkably expanded the map collection, overseeing the addition of more than 200,000 maps and 12,000 atlases, ultimately creating one of the largest and most accessible resources in the world. Hudson's passion for maps ignited during her college years following a geography course, leading her to diverge from a career in translation. Her exhibitions and lectures highlighted the historical impact of topography, especially in contexts such as the American frontier and the shoreline of New York City. Additionally, she focused on recognizing the vital but often overlooked roles that women have played in cartography throughout history. Hudson's dedication not only enriched the New York Public Library but also shaped international conversations about geography and its social implications. She emphasized the need to unveil the contributions of women in a field where they have historically been marginalized and their work left uncredited, advocating for their recognition in cartographic literature.