What does this collection document?
This collection documents the geographic interests of a major oil company during the second half of the 20th century.
Who might be interested in these maps?
The maps will be of great interest to several disciplines, including:
Why are these maps significant?
As research increasingly focuses on the expansion and influence of the petroleum industry during the latter half of the 20th century, these maps provide crucial evidence of the oil industry’s efforts to locate and exploit petroleum and other mineral resources globally. These activities likely influenced national political, economic, and foreign policy decisions during this time, extending beyond just the United States.
As the history of the expansion and influence of the petroleum industry during the second half of the 20th century becomes the focus of more intensive academic research, these maps will provide evidence of the oil industry’s desire to locate and exploit petroleum and other mineral resources in a wider geographical space than just the United States. Such efforts to seek an international base of resources most likely had an influence on national political, economic, and foreign relations decisions during this time.
Where did the maps come from?
This map collection was a significant donation from ExxonMobil.
What is the status of the collection?
We are currently processing the maps and estimate that over 1,000 maps will be added to Fondren's map collection once the project is complete.
What criteria are used to select maps for the collection?
Some of the selection criteria include:
Using the Fondren Library online catalog OneSearch to explore the records of this collection. You can start with
Step 1. Go to the Fondren Library homepage: https://library.rice.edu/
Step 2. Type in "Mobil Oil Map Collection" in the search box, see below for the example:
Note:
Please be aware of that this is a current on going project. Come back frequently to check the new additions.