a universe of maps

The cream of the cartography crop. We particularly like big data, historical, educational, and interactive maps. We're less fond of maps with overtly (current) political agendas, simplistic choropleths, or 5-minute Google Maps mashups.

[transitmaps]

Historical Maps: Australian Interstate Passenger Rail Schematics, November 1983

Here’s a couple of neat timetable/route diagrams for Interstate passenger rail services in Australia back in 1983. The first shows westbound services from Sydney, the other shows the corresponding return journeys.

Differing rail gauges and immense distances have always made interstate rail travel a difficult prospect in Australia, hence the paucity of services even 30-odd years ago (only three Sydney-Melbourne trains a day and just one daily Sydney-Brisbane service).

Source: Image 1 and Image 2 - Dave Murchie/Flickr

[mapiverse]

Population distribution map of the United States.

[mapiverse]

Lotus projection of World Oceanography. Bathymetric Chart, with Ocean Surface Currents, from the David Rumsey Map Collection.

Source, with high-res interactive version.

[archimaps]

Map indicating the historic buildings of the city of Rome

[mapiverse]

"Terrestria", by Simanion on DeviantArt. Probably the most detailed modern map in a medieval style that I've ever seen.

[mapiverse]

North Pole map showing the international polar stations, 1882-1883.

Published by the Scottish Geographical Society, 1885

[mapiverse]

Where in the U.S. will you find the most “pleasant” days in a year? Great interactive visualization by Kelly Norton using NOAA data to determine US locations with the most (and fewest) days of comfortable weather.

[mapsoftwincities]

Dubai Integrated Transport Network System Map Design Proposal

A few months ago, Matt Forrest (Carticulate Maps) asked me to redesign Dubai’s system map as part of a larger proposal Matt was working on at the time. Here is what we did:

Read More

[mapiverse]

Hevelius’ 1647 map of the Moon. Color edition by Johann Zahn, 1696.

Source

[mapiverse]

Gastronomic map of France, 1852.

Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF)

[narrativecartography-blog]

Catalan-Estense world map (1450 ca.)

[esri-deactivated20160822]

Mapping out an interactive history of the Super Bowl

[mapiverse]

On the Pleasure of Maps - Alain de Botton

Looking at old maps, we are reminded of the extraordinary obstacles in the way of an accurate representation of the world. They evoke the tenacity and bravado of the great adventurer - sailors who left Europe in search of new lands, the epic journeys of Columbus, Magellan and Vespucci. We have grown too aware of Europe’s atrocities in newly colonised continents to feel any easy pride on seeing the first well-drawn map of America, but nor does it seem fair to resist all sense of awe at the work and danger such a map represents.

[mapiverse]

Diversity of chiles in Mexico.

[time-for-maps]

[maptitude1]

This map shows the human settlements and environmental zones of Europe ca. 9000 years ago.

[mapiverse]

American diversity map by Langston Hughes, 1940s.

This map, issued by the Council Against Intolerance in America in 1940, shows the ethnic groups living in the United States, offering a picture of their geographical locations, typical employment, and religious commitments.

Source: Slate

[mapiverse]

OpenStreetMaps 2013: A Year of Edits. An incredible animation, showcasing the staggering amount of work put in by OSM contributors last year.