Last week, we feaÂtured the free digÂiÂtal ediÂtion of the The HisÂtoÂry of CarÂtogÂraÂphy. Or what’s been called “the most ambiÂtious overview of map makÂing ever underÂtakÂen.” The three-volÂume series conÂtains illusÂtraÂtions of countÂless maps, proÂduced over hunÂdreds of years. And it, of course, refÂerÂences this fine specÂiÂmen: A gift givÂen to EngÂland’s Charles II in 1660, The Klencke Atlas feaÂtured state-of-the-art maps of the conÂtiÂnents and varÂiÂous EuroÂpean states. It was also notable for its size. StandÂing six feet tall and six feet wide (when opened), the volÂume remains 355 years latÂer the largest atlas in the world. Learn more about it with the BBC clip below.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
PeoÂple come to know the world the way they come to map it—through their perÂcepÂtions of how its eleÂments are conÂnectÂed and of how they should move among them. This is preÂciseÂly what the series is attemptÂing by sitÂuÂatÂing the map at the heart of culÂturÂal life and revealÂing its relaÂtionÂship to sociÂety, sciÂence, and reliÂgion…. It is tryÂing to define a new set of relaÂtionÂships between maps and the physÂiÂcal world that involve more than geoÂmetÂric corÂreÂsponÂdence. It is in essence a new map of human attempts to chart the world.
If you head over to this page, then look in the upper left, you will see links to three volÂumes (availÂable in a free PDF forÂmat). My sugÂgesÂtion would be to look at the gallery of colÂor illusÂtraÂtions for each book, links to which you’ll find below. The image above, appearÂing in Vol. 2, dates back to 1534. It was creÂatÂed by Oronce Fine, the first chair of mathÂeÂmatÂics in the ColÂlège RoyÂal (aka the ColÂlège de France), and it feaÂtures the world mapped in the shape of a heart. PretÂty great.
MilÂlions watched as astroÂnaut Neil ArmÂstrong put boots to the moon in 1969.
It was, as he famousÂly remarked, one “giant leap for mankind,” but from a sciÂenÂtifÂic standÂpoint the terÂriÂtoÂry was far from virÂgin.
NeedÂless to say, the event was not teleÂvised and CassiÂni nevÂer had the opporÂtuÂniÂty to walk on the surÂface he studÂied. Instead he observed it through the eyeÂpiece of a teleÂscope, a relÂaÂtiveÂly new invenÂtion.
CassiÂni, then eight years into his forty year career as DirecÂtor of the Paris ObserÂvaÂtoÂry, proÂduced a map so exhausÂtive, it proÂvidÂed his peers with far more details of the moon’s surÂface than they had with regard to their own planÂet.
He also used his powÂers of obserÂvaÂtion to expand human underÂstandÂing of Mars, SatÂurn, and France itself (which turned out to be much smallÂer than preÂviÂousÂly believed).
A man of sciÂence, he may not have been entireÂly immune to the sort of moon-based whimÂsy that has long infectÂed poets, songÂwritÂers, and 19th-cenÂtuÂry romanÂtic heroÂines. HidÂing in the lowÂer right quadÂrant, near Cape HerÂaÂclides on the Sinus Iridum (aka Bay of RainÂbows), is a tiny, bare-shoulÂdered moon maid. See right above.
Or perÂhaps this appealÂingÂly playÂful vision can be attribÂuted to Cassini’s engraver Claude MelÂlan.
Either way, she seems exactÂly the sort of female life form a 17th-cenÂtuÂry human male might hope to encounter on a trip to the moon.
FanÂtaÂsy ficÂtion invariÂably includes a map for readÂers to underÂstand the hero’s jourÂney, litÂerÂalÂly. We know that HobÂbits had to walk a long way into MorÂdor, but seeÂing it carÂtoÂgraphÂiÂcalÂly realÂly hits home. But what of the great road trip novÂels, where the counÂtry is AmerÂiÂca, the jourÂney is long and often cirÂcuÂlar, and self-actuÂalÂizaÂtion awaits the hero, and not an army of orcs?
Atlas ObscuÂra, Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras’ blog of disÂcovÂery and advenÂture in the modÂern world, have come to the resÂcue with an interÂacÂtive map that plots out the travÂels of road trip-filled books, some non-ficÂtion, othÂers ficÂtionÂalÂized realÂiÂty. Where a locaÂtion is menÂtioned in a text, it has been pinned to the map, and by clickÂing on the pin, the relÂeÂvant text is revealed. Clever stuff.
For examÂple, the map for Jack Kerouac’s On the Road (see snapÂshot above) plots out the five trips conÂtained in the novÂel, and one can see the main hubs of the stoÂry: NYC and San FranÂcisÂco, of course, but also DenÂver and the crazed detour town to MexÂiÂco City, where Sal, Dean, and Stan ShepÂhard parÂty hard in a borÂdelÂlo and Sal winds up with dysenÂtery for his trouÂbles.
For someÂthing more straightÂforÂward, check out the NorthÂwest travÂels at the heart of Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of MotorÂcyÂcle MainÂteÂnance. WritÂten in the first perÂson, the novel’s narÂraÂtor travÂels by motorÂcyÂcle with his son from MinÂnesoÂta to NorthÂern CalÂiÂforÂnia, endÂing up in San FranÂcisÂco, takÂing 17 days. The philoÂsophÂiÂcal jourÂney, howÂevÂer, covÂers wider terÂrain.
AnothÂer Bay Area tale, Tom Wolfe’s account of Ken Kesey and the MerÂry Pranksters in The ElecÂtric Kool-Aid Acid Test starts in La HonÂda, CalÂiÂforÂnia, a mounÂtain getÂaway to the west of San Jose, and, as one can see, comÂpletes a cirÂcle of the States, includÂing trips to both CalÂgary, CanaÂda and ManÂzanilÂlo, MexÂiÂco, where everyÂbody is “uptight,” man, headÂing northÂeast to both GuaÂnaÂjuÂaÂto and AguasÂcalientes, where Acid Tests are adminÂisÂtered.
Ted Mills is a freeÂlance writer on the arts who curÂrentÂly hosts the FunkZone PodÂcast. You can also folÂlow him on TwitÂter at @tedmills, read his othÂer arts writÂing at tedmills.com and/or watch his films here.
This deliriÂous artiÂfact comes courÂtesy of Elmer Simms CampÂbell (1906–1971), an artist whose race proved an impedÂiÂment to career advanceÂment in his native MidÂwest. Not long after reloÂcatÂing to New York City, he had the good forÂtune to be befriendÂed by the great Cab CalÂloway, star of the CotÂton Club. Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-ho! Check the lowÂer left corÂner of your map.
You may notice that the comÂpass rose deviÂates rather drasÂtiÂcalÂly from estabÂlished norms. As you’ve no doubt heard, the Bronx is up, and the Battery’s down, but not in this case. Were you to choose those trees in the upper left corÂner as your startÂing point, you’d be at the top of CenÂtral Park, basiÂcalÂly equidisÂtant from the east and west sides. (Take the 2 or the 3 to 110th St…)
But keep in mind that this map is not drawn to scale. I know it looks like the joints are jumpÂing from the secÂond you step off the curb, but in realÂiÂty, you’ll need to hoof it 21 blocks from the top of CenÂtral Park to 131st street for things to start cookin’. HopeÂfulÂly, this geoÂgraphÂiÂcal libÂerÂty won’t get you too hot under the colÂlar. And if it does, well, it may be ProÂhiÂbiÂtion, but stress-relievÂing bevÂerÂages await you in every locaÂtion listÂed, as well as in some 500 speakeasies CampÂbell allowed to remain on the down low.
The map above, which did douÂble duty as endÂpaÂpers for Calloway’s autoÂbiÂogÂraÂphy,Of MinÂnie the Moocher and Me, is far closÂer to home.
Right above, see Cab CalÂloway perÂform “Hotcha Razz Ma Tazz” at the famous CotÂton Club, in Harlem, 1935.
Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is an author, Hoos-YorkÂer, homeÂschoolÂer, and Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday
The superÂconÂtiÂnent of Pangea formed some 270 milÂlion years ago, durÂing the EarÂly PerÂmiÂan PeriÂod, and then began to break up 70 milÂlion years latÂer, evenÂtuÂalÂly yieldÂing the conÂtiÂnents we inhabÂit today. Pangea was, of course, a peoÂpleÂless place. But if you were to drop today’s nations on that great land mass, here’s what it might look like. (Click on the image to view it in a much largÂer, high resÂoÂluÂtion forÂmat.) The map’s creÂator is MasÂsiÂmo Pietrobon, someÂone who playÂfulÂly describes himÂself as “a famous explorÂer and carÂtogÂraÂphÂer of Atlantis,” and who has takÂen on othÂer experÂiÂments with maps in the past. When someÂone claimed that the scale of cerÂtain counÂtries wasÂn’t exactÂly right, MasÂsiÂmo was quick to conÂfess on his blog, “Yes, it’s just a triÂal, it can be betÂter.” But it’s a creÂative start.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Mike Hamad, a music writer for The HartÂford Courant, has a deep and abidÂing love for Phish. He also has a talÂent for drawÂing “schematÂics” or maps that turn the expeÂriÂence of lisÂtenÂing to music into someÂthing visuÂal. Over at his tumÂblr SetlistSchematÂics, you can find nearÂly 200 schematÂics of songs (usuÂalÂly perÂformed live) by The GrateÂful Dead, The Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, and mostÂly Phish. AccordÂing to a short proÂfile in The New York Times, Hamad “has a master’s degree in music theÂoÂry and a Ph.D. in musiÂcolÂoÂgy” — his disÂserÂtaÂtion focused on the tonal relaÂtionÂships in Franz Liszt’s songs — and, someÂwhere along the way, he develÂoped a tenÂdenÂcy to transÂlate music into schematÂics, a flurÂry of “arrows, descripÂtive notes, roman numerÂals and wavy lines.”
As time places us ever furÂther from the event, our knowlÂedge of (and—generally speaking—interest in World War I) has shrunk preÂcipÂiÂtously. That trend is reversÂing as the cenÂtenÂniÂal of ArchÂduke Franz FerÂdiÂnand’s assasÂsiÂnaÂtion draws nigh.
Before I startÂed studyÂing this game-changÂing catÂaÂstrophÂic event with my young son, one of my few gerÂmane pieces of inforÂmaÂtion was that a lot of solÂdiers lived and died in trenchÂes dug along the WestÂern front. Even withÂout phoÂtos, staÂtisÂtics, or perÂsonÂal stoÂries, this definÂing aspect hits home hard in EmperÂor TigerÂstar’s aniÂmatÂed map of the Great War’s changÂing front lines in Europe and the MidÂdle East, above.
The trenchÂes were built folÂlowÂing the First BatÂtle of the Marne in SepÂtemÂber 1914. EvenÂtuÂalÂly they covÂered over 25,000 miles. HunÂdreds of thouÂsands met their ghastÂly ends there, via bombs, illÂness, and poiÂson gas attacks, but these lossÂes resultÂed in very litÂtle geoÂgraphÂic gain for one side or the othÂer.
If you’re lookÂing for change, keep your eye peeled for the RussÂian RevÂoÂluÂtion. The WestÂern Front was a deadÂlock.
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
