Saturday, October 3, 2009

Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities

Well now here is a interesting new book coming out later this month. Sounds like it might be a lot of fun, the book is based off of the Strange Maps blog by Frank Jacobs

Spanning many centuries, all continents, and the realms of outer space and the imagination, a collection of 138 unique graphics combining beautiful full-color illustrations with quirky statistics and smart social commentary. The result is a distinctive illustrated guide to the world. Categories of cartographic curiosities include: • Literary Creations, featuring a map of Thomas More's Utopia and the world of George Orwell's 1984

  • Misconceptions, such as a lavish seventeenth century map depicting California as an island
  • Political Parody, containing the "Jesusland map" and other humorous takes on voter profiles
  • Whatchamacallit, including a map of the area codes for regions where the rapper Ludacris sings about having "hoes"
  • Obscure Proposals, capturing Thomas Jefferson's vision for dividing the Northwest Territory into ten states with names such as Polypotamia and Assenisipia
  • Fantastic Maps, with a depiction of what the globe might look like if the sea and land were inverted
Strange Maps is a fascinating tour of all things weird and wonderful in the world of cartography.

Check it out at Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities

Also check out the Strange Maps blog

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