Kenneth Field’s virtual talk on the cartography of elections, given to University of South Carolina students on 25 September 2020, is now available on YouTube. “It explores the way in which map types and their design mediate the message, and using examples from elections shows different versions of the truth.” Also includes material from Ken’s forthcoming book.
Month: October 2020
Two Geologic Maps of Venus
Two geological maps of Venus have been published in Earth and Space Science. Produced by Vicki L. Hansen and Iván López, they each cover a 60-million-square-kilometre section of Earth’s twin: the Niobe Planitia Map Area geologic map (above, top) ranges from the equator to 57° north, and from 60° to 180° east longitude; the geologic map of the Aphrodite Map Area (above, bottom) is the Niobe Map Area’s southern hemisphere equivalent, covering the area from 60° to 180° east longitude, but from the equator to 57° south.
Mapping with Purpose
In “Mapping with Purpose,” Heather Smith of Esri uses blueberry crops in Canada to make a very good point about mapmaking. “You have data, but that’s not enough to make a map. You also need a purpose. There’s no point in making a map unless you have something to say.” In other words: If you’re going to map blueberry production, why? Is it to compare the acreage of blueberry-producing regions? To compare it to other berry crops? A map is a statement: what are you trying to say? [Kenneth Field]
A Crowdfunded, Hand-drawn Atlas of Scotland
Artist and writer Andrew Barr is crowdfunding for what he is calling “the first major Scottish atlas for over 100 years”: a hand-drawn, hardcover Atlas of Scotland:
Produced as a visually striking hardback book, combining text with illustrated maps, the Atlas will shed new light on Scotland’s size and resources, its cultural and political history, as well as its long standing as one of the ancient kingdoms of Europe and the richness of its international connections.
As satellite images replace traditional paper atlases, modern technology leaves us with an incomplete picture of the nation. By returning to map-making in pen and ink, and by retelling the story of Scotland’s history and culture, this Atlas aims to delve deeper into the fabric of the land and reveal one of the world’s oldest nations in a whole new light.
Very much a nationalist project—and a personal project as well, which is not how atlases are usually done nowadays, hand-drawn or not. The atlas is projected to ship in October 2021. [History Scotland]
‘Maps and Society’ Lectures Go Online
The Maps and Society lecture series has been obliged to go online by the pandemic. Hosted by the Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of London, they were normally something you could attend if you happened to be in London; but for this academic year, you can attend via Zoom (free registration required). [Tony Campbell]
Over the weekend I switched The Map Room over to a new site template. This is the first redesign of this site since I restarted it in January 2016. The old design was a stock template that over the years got modified and customized; I have yet to apply those modifications and customizations to the new design—right now it’s pretty much the stock Toujours template—so there are still a few things for me to do here and there. If things are wonky for a bit, that’s why.