"Founded by the British Cartographic Society (BCS) and first published in June 1964, The Cartographic Journal was the first general distribution English language journal in cartography. This volume of classic papers and accompanying invited reflections brings together some of the key papers to celebrate 50 years of publication. It is a celebration of The Cartographic Journal and of the work that scholars, cartographers and map-makers have published which have made it the foremost international journal of cartography. The intention here is to bring a flavor of the breadth of the journal in one volume spanning the history to date. As a reference work it highlights some of the very best work and, perhaps, allows readers to discover or re-discover a paper from the annals. As we constantly strive for new work and new insights we mustn't ignore the vast repository of material that has gone before. It is this that has shaped cartography as it exists today and as new research contributes to the discipline, which will continue to do so."