Silver City, New Mexico- Beginning July 15, 2015, the Silver City Museum will present "Crossroads of Empire: Early Printed Maps of the American Southwest," an exhibition organized by the Amon Carter Museum and The University of Texas at Arlington Library and produced by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The exhibition explores the idea that historical maps provide an opportunity to discover how land has been seen throughout time. The Southwest remained a land of mystery long after the rest of the continental United States had been surveyed and recorded on maps. This exhibition details the fascinating story of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the area.

"Crossroads of Empire" spans the mapmaking enterprise from 1512 to 1873. The exhibition examines the romance of maps, the legacy of mapmaking and the profound influence of early mapmakers on our world today. Captions and text are in English and Spanish.

The exhibition will be available to the public from July 15, 2015 to August 16, 2015. For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 538-5921, info@silvercitymuseum.org, or go to the museum's website www.silvercitymuseum.org.

Humanities Texas develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures, oral history projects, teacher institutes, traveling exhibitions and documentary films. For more information, please visit Humanities Texas online at http://www.humanitiestexas.org or call 512.440.1991.

The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region's unique history.