Setting the Record Straight: On the Russian Origins of Dasymetric Mapping

Andrey N. Petrov Department of Geography / University of Toronto / Toronto / ON / Canada

Abstract

A growing volume of dasymetric mapping research poses a very important and still unanswered question about the historical origins of this method. Conflicting versions offered in the literature propagate confusion among researchers. This article attempts to clarify who invented the dasymetric mapping method and first published dasymetric maps, as well as when this took place. Evidence presented in this article suggests that the Russian geographer Benjamin Semenov- Tian-Shansky must be considered the originator and first practitioner of modern dasymetric mapping. He developed this technique in 1911 and published a substantial number of maps in the 1920s. Reviews and descriptions of Semenov- Tian-Shansky’s works in English appeared in the Geographical Review a decade before the frequently cited article by John Wright was published in the same journal.

Keywords: dasymetric mapping, history of cartography, population density, Russia

Re´sume´

Un nombre croissant d’e´tudes sur la me´thode ge´ographique soule`vent la question tre`s importante, mais encore sans re´ponse, des origines historiques de cette me´thode. Les versions contradictoires mentionne´es dans la litte´rature se`ment la confusion parmi les chercheurs. Dans le pre´sent article, on tente de clarifier qui est l’inventeur de la me´thode ge´ographique et a publie´ les premie`res cartes, et a` quand cela remonte-t-il. Les preuves pre´sente´es dans l’article sugge`rent que le ge´ographe russe Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky doit eˆtre conside´re´ comme l’inventeur et le premier utilisateur des cartes de la densite´ modernes. Il a mis au point sa technique en 1911 et a publie´ un nombre conside´rable de cartes dans les anne´es 1920. Les e´tudes et les descriptions du travail de Semenov-Tian-Shansky ont e´te´ publie´es en anglais dans la revue Geographical Review, dix ans avant la publication dans cette meˆme revue de l’article de John Wright, qui est souvent cite´.

Mots cle´s: me´thode ge´ographique, histoire de la cartographie, densite´ de population, Russie

Dasymetric mapping occupies a remarkable place among indexed journal articles concerning dasymetric mapping cartographic techniques that have recently attracted (or, at least, in which this term is explicitly used) were renewed interest because of rapid progress in GIS and published after 2004.1 remote-sensing technologies. The literature on dasymetric Dasymetric mapping is the redistribution of areal mapping and its applications, especially using airborne enumeration data using ancillary information to more and satellite imagery, is among the most rapidly growing accurately portray an underlying statistical surface. The fields of digital cartography: a search of Compendex, basic principle of dasymetric mapping is to subdivide Inspec, and GEOBASE records shows that about 60% of source zones into smaller spatial units that possess greater

cartographica (volume 43, issue 2), pp. 133–136 doi: 10.3138/carto.43.2.133 133 Andrey N. Petrov internal consistency on the variable being mapped Mennis and Hultgren 2006). Benjamin Semenov-Tian- (Langford 2003). Boundaries on dasymetric maps reflect Shansky first introduced the concept of dasymetric spatial distribution in data itself rather than artificially concept in his report to the Russian Geographic Society imposed limits of areal units. The level of precision of in 1911 (Kamenetsky 1930). He translated the Russian dasymetric maps is constrained only by the resolution or words for ‘‘measuring’’ and ‘‘density’’ into Greek, then quality of ancillary data. Dasymetric maps are generally transliterated the resulting term back into Russian as considered more faithful than choropleth maps in dazimetricheskiy, and defined dasymetric maps as those representing population densities (e.g., Bozheva, Petrov, ‘‘on which population density, irrespective of any and Sugumaran 2005; Crampton 2004; Mennis and administrative boundaries, is shown as it is distributed Hultgren 2006; Wu, Qiu, and Wang 2005). in reality, that is, by natural spots of concentration and A growing volume of literature on dasymetric mapping rarefaction’’ (cited in Kamenetsky 1930, 176; my transla- poses a very important and still unanswered question tion). However, the popularization of the term is about the historical origins of this method. While it is associated with the ‘‘Dasymetric Map of European recognized that the concept of dasymetric mapping has a Russia’’ that Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky began long history, there are several conflicting versions of its publishing in 1923 (47 sheets were published before the origin, a matter I try to clarify in this short report. In part, project was abandoned). In the late 1920s and early 1930s, this confusion stems from a lack of knowledge of the the term ‘‘dasymetric mapping’’ was widely used by history of this cartographic technique on the part of Russian (Soviet) cartographers, sometimes as a synonym contemporary researchers – a group that, in addition to for ‘‘population density’’ mapping (Kamenetsky 1930; cartographers, now includes specialists in remote sensing, Preobrazhensky 1954). In the following decade, however, GIS, and spatial statistics whose background in historical the term quickly disappeared from their vocabulary. One questions of cartography may not be complete. To may only guess whether this was in any way related to the prevent the further propagation of historical inaccuracies cancellation of the ‘‘Dasymetric Map of European Russia’’ throughout the diverse literature on dasymetric mapping, project and the repression of Benjamin Semenov-Tian- I attempt to ‘‘set the record straight’’ below. Shansky and his school by the Stalinist regime in 1936. Another common error is to credit John Wright (1936) Most agree that the earliest example of the dasymetric with introducing the dasymetric method to the Anglo- method is found in George Julius Poulett Scrope’s 1833 world population density map (MacEachren 1979; American world. A decade before the appearance of McCleary 1969; Robinson 1982; Maantay, Maroko, and Wright’s oft-cited paper, the dasymetric method of Herrmann 2007). By distinguishing among ‘‘fully- Semenov-Tian-Shansky was described in detail by Sten peopled,’’ ‘‘under-peopled’’ and ‘‘yet un-peopled’’ parts De Geer in his review of the ‘‘Dasymetric Map of of the Earth, Scrope used a rudimentary dasymetric European Russia’’ in the Geographical Review (De Geer 1926). Two years later, Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky technique (Andrews 1966). In 1837, British cartographer himself published an article in the same journal, in which Henry Drury Harness designed a population-density map he introduced the term and briefly discussed his of Ireland in which he used data on landscape features to differentiate between densely and sparsely populated dasymetric map, albeit without much detail (Semenov- areas, thus employing a basic dasymetric principle Tian-Shansky 1928a). Thus, the Semenov-Tian-Shansky (Robinson 1955). However, neither Scrope nor Harness map was the first dasymetric cartographic product to used the term ‘‘dasymetric,’’ and in both cases the exact be described in an English journal (De Geer 1926; methodology of constructing maps is unclear (Andrews Semenov-Tian-Shansky 1928a), a privilege erroneously attributed to Wright, whose paper appeared in 1936, also 1966, Robinson 1955 and 1982; MacEachren 1979). in the Geographical Review (Wright’s review acknowledges The concept of the dasymetric map the Russian origin of the method, but does not mention , dazimetricheskaya karta) Semenov-Tian-Shansky). and the term itself were proposed by the Russian Below is an excerpt from De Geer’s description of geographer Benjamin (Veniamin Petrovich) Semenov- the dasymetric method used by Benjamin Semenov- Tian-Shansky (1870–1942), a son of the famous Tian-Shansky and his team to develop the ‘‘Dasymetric geographer and explorer Peter (Petr Petrovich) Map of European Russia’’: Semenov-Tian-Shansky (1827–1914) (McCleary 1969; Wallis and Robinson 1987). Most current commentators In the first instance the map distinguishes the uninhabited acknowledge the Russian origin of dasymetric mapping and sparsely populated areas from those of denser popula- but fail to properly name its inventor, either by tion. The density of 10 to the square verst (22.5 to the square misattributing the invention to his father or by giving mile) was chosen as the lower limit of the cultivated area, or surname only, thus creating confusion among the six limit of areally continuous population. The limit was plotted Semenov-Tian-Shanskys who were Russian academics2 by drawing circles with a radius of one verst about all (Bielecka 2005; Fabrikant 2003; Maantay and others 2007; populated places named on the standard 10-verst map

134 cartographica (volume 43, issue 2) Setting the Record Straight: On the Russian Origins of Dasymetric Mapping

Figure 1. Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky’s ‘‘Dasymetric Map of European Russia’’ (excerpt, reduced scale). Source: Preobrazhensky(1954, 143, Figure 4). Note: The excerpt provided above is a greyscale reproduction of the original colour map, whose colour scheme is described by Sten De Geer: ‘‘degrees of density on a regularly ascending scale are shown on the map in color as follows: three yellow tones, densities of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 inhabitants per square verst; three orange tones, densities up to 40, 50, and 60; three carmine tones, densities to 70, 80, and 90; and five violet tones, densities to 100, 200, 500, 1000, and over 1000 per square verst. Every isolated populated area is marked by a number and by its average density figure, while villages and towns with over 500 inhabitants in 1897 are shown by a symbol of arbitrary size’’ (1926, 342–43).

(1:420,000) of Russia and by smoothing the coalescing arcs In addition to the sources in English mentioned above, on the outer margins of the areas so delimited. [If adjacent the Semenov-Tian-Shansky method is also described in circles are less than two verst apart, they are merged. Within Russian (Malyavkin 1926; Semenov-Tian-Shansky 1928b; these areals of population concentration, the map displays Preobrazhensky 1954) and in German (Friedrichsen average population density.] The selection of a radius of one 1924). verst [1.067 km] is justified by the fact that the fields belonging to Russian villages are usually within one verst Author Information from the village center. Small groups of houses may be omitted; but where villages lie in lines they are included Andrey N. Petrov is a PhD student in the Department within the smoother curve, even if separated by distances of of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 St. George two or three versts. It is admitted that the radius and the Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3 Canada. E-mail: andreyn. modifications of the curves are somewhat arbitrary, but, since [email protected]. the method is used uniformly all over Russia, it is hoped the results will at least be comparable. (1926, 342) Notes

Figure 1 shows a section of the ‘‘Dasymetric Map of 1. This figure is based on a keyword search of the GEOBASE, European Russia’’ covering a portion of southern Compendex, and Inspec databases, using the keyword Ukraine, near Kherson. ‘‘dasymetric,’’ conducted on 20 September 2007. Note that cartographica (volume 43, issue 2) 135 Andrey N. Petrov

these search results do not include papers that pertain to Maantay, J.A., A.R. Maroko, and C. Herrmann. 2007.‘‘Mapping issues of dasymetric mapping, but do not use the term Population Distribution in the Urban Environment: The Cadastral-Based Expert Dasymetric System (CEDS).’’ itself. Adding such articles would likely increase the share Cartography and Geographic Information Science 34/2: of recent publications even further. 77–102. 2. The six are Petr Petrovich (1827–1914); his sons Dmitry MacEachren, A.M. 1979. ‘‘The Evolution of Thematic Petrovich (1852–1917), Andrey Petrovich (1866–1942), Cartography. A Research Methodology and Historical Veniamin (Benjamin) Petrovich (1870–1942), and Izmail Review.’’ The Canadian Cartographer 16/1: 17–33. Petrovich ([1874–1942); and his grandson Mikhail Dmitrievich (1882–1942). Malyavkin, G.F. 1926. Chto Takoye Dazimetricheskaya Karta Evropeiskoi Rossii i Kak Eu Pol’zovat’sya Dlya Prakticheskikh Tseley [What Is the Dasymetric Map of References European Russia and How to Use It for Practical Purposes]. Leningrad: N.p. Andrews, J.H. 1966. ‘‘An Early World Population Map.’’ The Geographical Review 56: 447–48. McCleary, G. 1969. ‘‘The Dasymetric Method in Thematic Cartography.’’ PhD diss., University of Wisconsin- Bielecka, E. (2005). ‘‘A Dasymetric Population Density Map of Madison. Poland.’’ Proceedings of the International Cartographic Conference, July 9–15, A Corun˜a, Spain [CD]. Mennis, J., and T. Hultgren. 2006. ‘‘Intelligent Dasymetric Mapping and Its Application to Areal Interpolation.’’ Bozheva, A.M., A.N. Petrov, and R. Sugumaran. 2005. ‘‘The Cartography and Geographic Information Science 33/3: Effect of Spatial Resolution of Remotely Sensed Data in 179–94. Dasymetric Mapping of Residential Areas.’’ GIScience and Remote Sensing 42/2: 113–30. Robinson, A.H. 1982. Early Thematic Mapping in the History of Cartography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Crampton, J.W. 2004. ‘‘GIS and Geographic Governance: Reconstructing the Choropleth Map.’’ Cartographica 39/1: Preobrazhensky, A.J. 1954. ‘‘Dorevolutsionnye i Sovietskie 41–53. Karty Razmescheniya Nasieleniya [Pre-revolutionary and Soviet Maps of Population Density].’’ Voprosy Geografii: De Geer, S. 1926. ‘‘Review: A Population Density Map of Kartografia 34: 134–49. European Russia (Dazimetricheskaya Karta Evropeiskoi Rossii) (Carte dasymetrique de la Russie d’Europe)by Robinson, A.H. 1955. ‘‘The 1837 Maps of Henry Drury Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky.’’ The Geographical Review Harness.’’ The Geographical Journal 121: 440–50. 16: 341–43. Semenov-Tian-Shansky, B. [V.P.]. 1928a.‘‘Russia: Territory and Fabrikant, S.I. 2003.‘‘Commentary on A History of Twentieth- Population: A Perspective on the 1926 Census.’’ The Century American Academic Cartography by Robert Geographical Review 18: 616–40. McMaster and Susanna McMaster.’’ Cartography and Geographic Information Science 30: 81–84. ————. 1928b. Rayon i Strana [Region and Country]. Moscow/Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoe Izdatelistvo – Friedrichsen, M. 1924. ‘‘Die dasymetrische (dichtemessende) Pechatnyi Dvor. Karte des Europaischen Russlands.’’ Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 70: 214–15. Wallis, H.M., and A.H. Robinson (eds.). 1987. Cartographical Innovations: an International Handbook of Mapping Terms to Kamenetsky, V. 1930. ‘‘Dazimetricheskiye karty [Dasymetric 1900. International Cartographic Association. Maps].’’ In Bol’shaia Sovetskaia Entsiklopedia, vol. 20, ed. O.Yu. Shmidt, Moscow: Dasymetric Maps. 176–78. Wright, J.K. 1936. ‘‘A Method of Mapping Densities of Population.’’ The Geographical Review 26/1: 103–10. Langford, M. 2003. ‘‘Refining Methods for Dasymetric Mapping Using Satellite Remote Sensing.’’ In Remotely Wu, S.-S., X. Qiu, and L Wang. 2005. ‘‘Population Estimation Sensed Cities, ed. V. Mesev. London: Taylor & Francis. Methods in GIS and Remote Sensing: A Review.’’ GIScience 137–56. and Remote Sensing 42/1: 80–96.

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