La Sección de Cartografía y Publicaciones del Instituto Geográfico y la introducción de las técnicas de reproducción fotomecánica (1904-1956)

Abstract

In the middle of the twentieth century the Cartographic and Publications Section of the Instituto Geografico was the main publisher of maps of Spain. The process that would lead this fact began in 1905, when was decided to replace the lithographic reproduction of maps system, adopted en 1875 for engraving and printing the sheets of the Topographical Map of Spain at scale 1:50,000 scale, by a photomechanical process of map reproduction. In 1915 was published the first sheet of this map engraved with copper heliogravure and in 1926 was implemented a new technique of photomechanical reproduction, the zinc photolithography, that was in operation until 1956. These changes resulted, during the first third of the twentieth century, in several organizational reforms, the formation of two technical bodies and one great investment in technical material and buildings. As consequence of it, between 1915 and 1956 were recorded and stamped 883 of the 1,106 sheets that formed the first edition of this map.