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Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection Exhibits

Welcome to exhibits from the Collection of Jane and Ronald Gibbs.

Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection Exhibits

George Washington and the American Revolution, 1775-1776 - by Ron Gibbs

During the first two, precarious years of the American Revolution, the outcome was often in doubt. The Digital Gallery is pleased to present the exhibit, “George Washington and the American Revolution, 1775-1776,” to chronicle these critical times through historic maps, iconic paintings, and explanatory text. Here you can explore the maps and images related to both the defeats and eventual victories of these campaigns.See Ron Gibbs' historical novel about George Washington and the American Revolution, The Long Shot.October 2021: “Terrain and Tactics, British War Plan of 1776,” new article by Ronald Gibbs, Courtney Spikes and Thomas Paper. British General William Howe’s “War Plan illustrates the dichotomy of…[his]…tactical brilliance and his characteristic delays that thwarted his ultimate success. In contrast, General Washington was able to maintain the integrity of his army and keep the cause of American independence alive despite his initial defeats” (excerpt from the article). The article was published on-line in Journal of the American Revolution on October 12, 2021. To read the article, click here.See video of Ron's February 2021 presentation to the Washington Map Society here. See pdf of Ron's October 2020 presentation to San Francisco Map Fair here.keyword: rongibbs

1777: Decisive Year of The American Revolution - by Ron Gibbs

9/8/23 - The Digital Gallery is pleased to present the second exhibit in the American Revolution Series. Previously, in Exhibit 40, "George Washington and The American Revolution, 1775-1776," we displayed, through historic maps and iconic images, the course of the first two years of the war. The cause of American Independence went from elation when the American militia forced the British to retreat from Concord, Massachusetts (April 1775), to horror at the carnage at Bunker Hill (June 1775), and back to victory when the British Army was forced to evacuate Boston (March 1776). But a huge British force returned to New York (July 1776) and defeated General George Washington's army in a series of battles through late summer and autumn. The American cause was on the brink of disaster (December 1776) when Washington decided upon a bold stroke of war to save the American Revolution--and the future of the United States.Come with us now as we jump back to catch up with the momentous story of the Campaign of 1777 and why it proved to be the Decisive Year of the American Revolution.Note : I wish to acknowledge the contributions of my good friend Tom Paper to the development and production of this exhibit.keyword: rongibbs

Instruments of Navigation from the Collection of Jane and Ron Gibbs

Images of an astrolabe, an octant and a sextant, all instruments of navigation from the collection of Jane and Ron Gibbs. Shot in the studio of Tom Paper.keyword: rongibbs

Atlas to Marshall's Life of Washington - from the Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection

5/11/24 - This book was shared by Ron Gibbs at Bay Area Map (BAM) Group meeting at Rothman residence. Ron has written two historical novels about George Washington around the time of the revolution. More info can be found on Ron’s website here.An atlas made as a complement to the famous biography of George Washington, written by Supreme Court Justice John Marshall. From the collection of Jane and Ron Gibbs.From Wikipedia: John Marshall (September 24, 1755 – July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. Marshall remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longest serving justice in Supreme Court history, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential justices to ever sit on the Supreme Court. Prior to joining the Supreme Court (and for one month simultaneous to his tenure as Chief Justice), Marshall served as the fourth United States Secretary of State under President John Adams.After his appointment to the Supreme Court, Marshall began working on a biography of George Washington. He did so at the request of his close friend, Associate Justice Bushrod Washington, who had inherited the papers of his uncle. Marshall's The Life of George Washington, the first biography about a U.S. president ever published, spanned five volumes and just under one thousand pages. The first two volumes, published in 1803, were poorly-received and seen by many as an attack on the Democratic-Republican Party.[119] Nonetheless, historians have often praised the accuracy and well-reasoned judgments of Marshall's biography, while noting his frequent paraphrases of published sources such as William Gordon's 1801 history of the Revolution and the British Annual Register.[120] After completing the revision to his biography of Washington, Marshall prepared an abridgment. In 1833 he wrote, "I have at length completed an abridgment of the Life of Washington for the use of schools. I have endeavored to compress it as much as possible. ... After striking out every thing which in my judgment could be properly excluded the volume will contain at least 400 pages."[121] The Abridgment was not published until 1838, three years after Marshall died.[122]Keywords: RonGibbs

Extra Slides from Ron Gibbs Presentation 2024-06-29

slides for Ron Gibbs presentation to California Map Society's Spring Conference, held at the Rumsey Center, June 29, 2024.Keyword: rongibbs, cms, california map society

250th Anniversary of the American Revolution - by Ron Gibbs

Images for presentation by Ron Gibbs at The California Map Society's Spring Conference, June 29, 2024, at the David Rumsey Map Center. Images from the collection of Jane and Ronald Gibbs.Source: SearchWorks at Stanford University keyword: rongibbs

GIFT1: Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection at Stanford University

This exhibit was created from the images donated by Jane and Ronald Gibbs to Stanford University in 2024. I've selected a few of the maps which are my favorites.Ron and Jane Gibbs began collecting maps over 40 years ago. It was a natural extension of their love of American history, both having grown up in Philadelphia. They even spent part of their 1966 honeymoon in New England visiting historic sites. Jane bought their first map as a gift for Ron in 1983. At first their focus was on The American Revolution, but as travel expanded, they also became fascinated by the great era of discovery in the 18th Century. Collecting became a passion for them. Ron recalls visiting New York City one month after September 11, 2001 and seeing a copy of the 1767 Ratzer map of New York City at favorite map shop. He was torn about acquiring it because of its slightly worn condition and had the map sent to their home, then in Denver, on approval. For advice, he took it to his map-collecting friend, Wes Brown, who, by the way, is a speaker today. Wes advised, “If you don’t get it, you’ll never forgive yourself!” Jane concurred, and the Ratzer map is a prized part of their collection. Their maps have always been handsomely displayed in their home, sharing space only with photos of the family. Ron has given numerous lectures around the country on cartography and has written cartographic articles in Calafia, Journal of the American Revolution, and International Map Collectors Journal. His two historical novels, published in 2020 and 2024, contain period maps from their collection. In March 2023, they donated to the Rumsey the first part of their collection consisting of 161historic maps and map related books. In their home in San Francisco, they currently have other maps which will make their way to the Rumsey later. Ron and Jane are delighted to have found a perfect home where scholars and the public can access their maps in perpetuity. https://searchworks.stanford.edu/catalog?q=%22Jane+and+Ronald+Gibbs+Collection%22&search_field=subject_terms

GIFT2: A view of the present seat of war - 1776 - from the Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/in00000087475

GIFT3: The American Atlas - Thomas Jefferys - from the Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/in00000087481

GIFT4: A new atlas of the mundane system - from the Jane and Ronald Gibbs Collection

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/in00000087485

Eight Interesting Aspects: The Biggest Little Battle in American History - Ron Gibbs

In this exhibit's DOT story, Dr. Ron Gibbs takes us through a 1777 British map of the "biggest little battle in American history." The battle involved fewer than 4,000 soldiers, but it saved the cause of American independence at one of its lowest ebbs.Ronald S. Gibbs, M.D. is a physician, map collector, medical researcher, and author at Stanford University now serving as the president of the California Map Society. He has written several articles on 18th-century military medicine, as well as two novels about the American Revolution: The Long Shot: The Secret History of 1776 and The Rogue's Plot: The Untold Story of 1777.You can see more of his work at https://ronaldsgibbs.com/about-american-revolution.