422 Items Tagged

Maps

What could go wrong?

The 19th-Century French Frenzy for Species Swapping, in a Single Chart

Quaggas, ibises, and tapirs, oh my!

Jessica Leigh Hester October 17, 2019

Mapping the World Through Smell

In this image looking southeast at the border between Queens and Brooklyn, the area briefly known as Haberman is at center-left, beside Newtown Creek.

The Brief, Baffling Life of an Accidental New York Neighborhood

Welcome to Haberman, Queens, population: zero.

Isaac Schultz October 15, 2019

The map.

Chicago, Illinois

300 South Wacker Drive

A 400-foot-tall tall map of Chicago makes this once-ignored building stand out.

This detail from a map by C. Smith & Son features a lot of falling water.

The 19th-Century Charts That Put the World's Waterfalls on One Impossible Landscape

Imagine the roar.

Jessica Leigh Hester October 8, 2019

Ground Truth

When Cameroon and Nigeria settled their long-standing border dispute, it was just the beginning. Then a 21st-century border had to be laid down.

Jen Banbury September 29, 2019

The pincushion is still pierced by eight little pins inserted around the edge.

objects of intrigue

For Sale: A 19th-Century Silk Map of North America, Tiny Enough to Fit on a Pincushion

The cartographic curio was probably an educational tool.

Jessica Leigh Hester September 27, 2019

In this detail from a map of Tetliztaca, made in 1581, traditional and newer visual styles live right to one another.

How a 16th-Century Spanish Questionnaire Inspired Indigenous Mapmakers of Mexico

Bureaucratic paperwork led to pretty maps that highlight power structures and visual identity.

Jessica Leigh Hester August 15, 2019

Kircher's map of the Earth's core and volcanoes, from <em>Mundus Subterraneus</em>, is richly detailed.

Stare Into the Belly of the Earth With 17th-Century Polymath Athanasius Kircher

How a visit to Vesuvius shaped his prescient vision of a hot core.

Jessica Leigh Hester July 30, 2019

The map is richly detailed—and a little whimsical too.

For Sale: An Old Map of Small-Town Chicago

Recognize anything?

Jessica Leigh Hester July 24, 2019

Upon close inspection of Heinrich Berann's depiction of Yellowstone, dazzling details emerge.

The Painted Panoramas That Will Make You Yearn for Yosemite and Dream of Denali

Step into Heinrich Berann's sweeping portraits of America's national parks.

Jessica Leigh Hester July 11, 2019

A 19th-century astronomer's map, titled "Stars for July."

See How the Moon Has Been Mapped Through Time

A new exhibit in London has 300 years of celestial ephemera on display.

Evan Nicole Brown July 3, 2019

A German map from 1759 shows the border between East and West Jersey, separating the pink and yellow areas.

Central New Jersey Doesn't Exist, But Don't Tell Central Jerseyans That

Exploring what makes a region distinct.

Dan Nosowitz June 4, 2019

In this chart, leafy wonders mingle with architectural ones.

The Chart That Measures Tall Trees Against Architectural Wonders

A 19th-century infographic that stacks a redwood against St. Peter's Basilica.

Jessica Leigh Hester May 13, 2019

<em>Map of the Moon.</em>

During the Space Race, Gas Stations Gave Away Free Maps to the Moon

Standard Oil was not about to be left earthbound.

Kyle Carsten Wyatt May 1, 2019

The map included spots to pick up bear, venison, and produce, and recounted the fact that Trinity Church gets first dibs on dead whales.

Step Into a Midcentury Map of New York, Packed With Weird Local Lore

Dragons, flea circuses, mermaids, and more wonders of the city.

Jessica Leigh Hester April 17, 2019

Behold, the many mountains rising above Loch Lomond in this map from the 1940s.

Explore Historic Maps of Scotland, Now in 3D

The National Library of Scotland isn’t afraid of heights.

Jessica Leigh Hester April 3, 2019

"Maid of the Mist" sculpture.

Sanborn, New York

Native American Museum of Art

This overlooked gem outside Niagara Falls preserves and celebrates Iroquois culture.