Newswise — Visitors to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web site can view a video that portrays NIST's construction of an encasement for the1507 Waldseemüller Map, often called "America's birth certificate" because it is the first map to label the lands of the New World as "America." The three-minute video tells viewers of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci (America's namesake) and of the map's purchase by the Library of Congress. NIST's design, manufacture, shipment and assembly of the encasement, base, frame and display structure as well as their match up with the historic map are featured. Library of Congress and NIST officials also comment on the importance of the map to the nation. The Waldseemüller map is now on permanent exhibition in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
To view the video, see "National Institute of Standards and Technology Helps Preserve the 500-year-old Waldseemüller Map" (http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/waldseemuller/waldseemuller.html). For more on the NIST Waldseemüller encasement project see "NIST Encasement Now Protecting 'America's Birth Certificate'" (http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2007_1212.htm#w-map)
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