David M. Brown

After graduation from Michigan State University in 1978 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design & Graphic Art) I worked for a year designing high-end furniture hardware. It seems my heart was elsewhere. By around sixth grade, I had wallpapered my bedroom walls with maps clipped from National Geographic magazines. I moved back to good old Lansing and met Bert Green, designed the displays for his first Map and Globe Store, and then began the production of maps of Michigan cities in association with his fledgling Universal Map Enterprises. Even back then I recognized that in the future important cartography would need to be more than road maps. In 1982, with the publication of the Southeast Michigan and Northwest Michigan maps, the original Michigan Regional County Map Series began -- designed to be not only road maps, but also tourist guides. Without the internet, research included countless hours of on-site inspection, and without computers, map production meant thousands of dollars in material expenses. Universal Map Enterprises published my first edition Michigan County Atlas in 1989 based on cartography from the Michigan Regional County Map series. Throughout the 1990s these maps were revised and updated. But the Michigan County Atlas languished as support from Universal Map faded. I went back to school in 2000, and the project of converting a manual cartography studio to digital began. Scanning of the map art created during the previous 20 years began in 2004, followed by various conversion techniques and placement into a suitable application. Design and layout of the new Michigan County Atlas, in Adobe CS, began in 2006 -- at a time when it was uncertain exactly how my work would ever see the light of day. Kappa Publishing Group purchased Universal Map in 2007, and published the Second Edition Michigan County Atlas in 2009. Upgrades continued, to include all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and to pursue the vision -- to provide a comprehensive yet accessible resource for exploring the geography, history, and recreation opportunities of Michigan. During the years 2009-2011 I completed coverage of the Upper Peninsula, followed by continued revision of Lower Peninsula counties. The result is the Third Edition Michigan County Atlas, published in August 2013 by Kappa Map Group. The Michigan County Atlas remains a work in progress. Revisions and new information will be included with each printing, with the support of my publisher. I truly thank you for your support. michigancountyatlas@gmail.com David M. Brown