Category: Mad About Maps

All about cartography, a collection of articles on and around maps and mapping.

In pictures: Ordnance Survey celebrates 80 years of the trig pillar

Ordnance Survey are celebrating the trig pillar’s 80th birthday by asking you to share pictures of the trig pillars you’ve seen while out and about using the hashtag #TrigPillar80 on Twitter and Instagram. Continue reading In pictures: Ordnance Survey celebrates 80 years of the trig pillar

Mappy Monday- Stanford’s New Map of Kabul (1880)

It seems strange to refer to a 136 year-old map as ‘new’.

This 1880 map of Kabul is from our Edward Stanford Cartographic Collection archive. Continue reading Mappy Monday- Stanford’s New Map of Kabul (1880)

Mappy Monday- Shakespeare’s Britain

The 23rd of this month marks 400 years since Shakespeare’s death in 1616. To celebrate the Bard’s life and work we thought we’d share this National Geographic Society map of Shakespeare’s Britain. Continue reading Mappy Monday- Shakespeare’s Britain

Five artists who put the ‘art’ in cartography

Ed Fairburn
Windermere by Ed Fairburn

We obviously think all our maps are works of art. The artistry involved can take years and it’s no wonder people hang them on their walls. Yes, they are practical and useful, but they are also beautiful.  Here are a few artists who take the art of cartography to a new level: Continue reading Five artists who put the ‘art’ in cartography

A short visit to Mississippi

By Gregor Swiderek

Mississippi has a problem with its reputation. Most visitors to the US either completely forget about its existence, or worse, have such a bad and prejudicial view of the Magnolia State that they give it a wide berth. So let me write a few words about it.

We got to Mississippi driving south from Memphis on the Interstate 55 and our entry was, lets say, less than grand. The state boundary cuts across the far outskirts of Memphis so the only way of knowing that you have crossed it is to look for a small sign on the side of the suburban looking freeway indicating the beginning of the DeSoto County.

After this less than spectacular welcome we booked ourselves into a motel in the small town of Senatobia, 26 miles from the border. We stayed on its outskirts in yet another cluster of chain motels and fast food establishments next to the freeway exit. For example our motel (Days Inn) had a franchise of the Waffle House on site and was next to three big gas stations as well as branches of Pizza Hut, KFC, Wendy’s, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and Subway. So far, so boring.

But the following day things got much better. For a start the I-55 happened to be way more scenic than I thought it would be. Looking at the road map I was expecting a flat and straight freeway running along the fields and farms, instead we got gently undulating and quite heavily forested landscapes all the way to Jackson. Continue reading A short visit to Mississippi

Stanfords Award for Printed Mapping

We are delighted to have sponsored an award at the recent British Cartographic Awards 2014. 

The Stanfords Award for printed mapping was created to encourage any printed products to enter, from coffee table atlases to maps featured in leaflets or topical articles. 

Below are all the entries that received a Stanfords recognition:

Winner: Historical Map of York: Lovell Johns

Judges Comments: my favourite map, exceptionally well produced and designed, colours are clear, visual hierarchy is of a very high standard, a contemporary map style for an old map but I don’t mind that, a beautiful piece of design and cartography. Front cover design is great. Continue reading Stanfords Award for Printed Mapping

Slovenia

by Kasia Nowicka

I had visited Slovenia once before, only briefly, driving through it towards another destination.  Then, as most of us probably do, I didn’t think much of it. A small post-Yugoslavian country with a relatively expensive vignette for the motorways. Luckily, we were driving during the day (it took us less than two hours to cross the country) and I decided that this would be my next summer destination. I was amazed by the lush green carpet covering this mountainous part of the world, here and there embellished with a small red-roofed church. I felt snugly wrapped by that generosity of nature.

And here I was a year later, arriving at the small but well-organised airport of Ljubljana. We couldn’t miss the capital so ventured there right away even though I was more excited by the mountains and lakes. What I expected to see was yet another south-eastern European city; just more of the same – a mixture of Prague and Dubrovnik. What I saw was an elegant high-class city. Its spacious old town streets were trodden by mothers with latest-fashion buggies, visitors mingled with locals walking at the same pace; no tat, no rubbish, only order and welcoming cafes by the river banks. Continue reading Slovenia