Mapa general del estado de Morelos

Example of the first modern map of the state of Morelos, Mexico, published in 1910 and produced by the Comisión Geográfico-Exploradora (CGE). The CGE was a state institution created in 1877 by President Porfirio Díaz. At that time, the Mexican government had a limited understanding of the precise extent and nature of its territory, which made the effective management of the country difficult. The objective of the commission was to map the entire country using updated standards and technologies. Despite being poorly funded, it managed to publish several important maps, such as the Carta Corográfica del Distrito Federal (1877) and the Carta Topográfica de los Alrededores de Xalapa (1892). Between 1893 and 1900, the CGE was on the verge of disappearing owing to the serious fiscal crisis that affected Mexico. Once the crisis was overcome, the commission accelerated its surveys, which led to the publication of seven state maps in 1910, including the map of Morelos. After the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the commission gradually faded away until its dissolution in 1913. The most notable maps of the commission were published between 1908 and 1910, the map of Morelos being one of the notable examples. This large map, mounted on cloth, is adorned with a border and a modernist title. Its content is comprehensive (it includes tables, insets and keys) without this affecting its aesthetics or its legibility. These maps rivalled the foreign works; so much so that the Mexican government sent the commission to five international fairs, from New Orleans in 1885 to Paris in 1900, to show the quality of Mexican scientific work. The maps of the CGE are extremely rare in private or public collections. WorldCat lists only one copy of our map of Morelos (in Basel), not recorded in RBH.