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Preserving History, Preserving Maps

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Maps are important.

For centuries we and our ancestors relied on maps to get from point A to point B and while history has done much to change the face of this planet, little has been done to invalidate the importance of historical maps.

But you might be asking yourself: “What’s so great about a map of Britain that illustrates a system of roads that no longer exist? What good is an obsolete map?”

Let me ask you: “Do you have a time machine?”

Preserving historical maps is one of the few ways in which we are given a true window into the past. As time marches forward, our ancestors are starting to disappear and much of the stories regarding their struggles and their plights are disappearing with them. With historical maps, we are given a unique perspective into the way things truly were and we are given an idea of what life was like.

Thankfully, many of the historical and cultural preservation organizations all over the world are working to fix this and much of their findings can be found online. If you’ve worked out your internet with wildbluedeals.com or the like and you’ve got a working connection, you really ought to take a look at these findings and learn how you can contribute. Preserving historical maps is one of the few ways we can successfully preserve history.

Historically Important Collections Of City Maps

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Being able to view a historically important collection of city maps is a great experience to see how the world looked before a person was born. Many people want to see how streets, cities, and even homes looked before they moved there, drove on it, or moved in it. This is why state officials and libraries keep maps, which have only been available to access in person.I found some more information here. With the age of technology, the internet has allowed these historically important collections of city maps to be uploaded onto a digital area for internet searchers and researchers to view or purchase.

Many website carry these maps for individuals to view or purchase. Many developers use these maps to create a sales pitch or vision of a new future development. The designers look at how the city ahs changed over the years have a map for each era or change in the area including a newly created map of what is to become of their development. This is used to present to city officials or investors to approve of.

Maps of history could also be used by law enforcement officials. If there is a case that is being worked on, some area may need to be looked at before a development was made. If a house was in an area that is now changed, the there may be a possibility that the basement or other structure is still there, just not present on the new map. It could help them to locate a missing person, or person of interest.

Many homeowners use these maps to see what the land looked like before they purchased it. This is also helpful for individuals creating a detail family tree. Some maps could show a family home that has been moved, demolished, or transformed into a newer style home. These maps are kept to show what used to be.

A Beautiful And Fun Collection Of Historical City Maps

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A collection of historic city maps is a great way to show a person’s interest in history and in how map making progressed through the ages. The maps can come from the era in which the city is depicted or they may simply be reproductions. The original maps sell for more money than the reproductions of course. A map of New York from 2001, produced just a few days before the attacks on the World Trade Center can fetch a high price, but many people look for older historical maps. Finding a map of New Amsterdam, for example will fetch a high price.

Historical city maps need to be preserved and carefully displayed. They may exist in a private collection, but they often exist in museums. A museum collection lets anyone see the map, but an investor or a private collector will be able to keep the posters for longer, if he knows how to preserve and display the maps. He may decide to get the maps to a museum when he is done or pass them on to his heirs. The decision depends on his conscience. Starting a historic city map collection is often the hardest part. It can be a rewarding hobby.

Nuremberg Chronicle Of 1493 Is Dramatic And Beautiful

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Nuremberg Chronicle was an illustrated history of the world that was first printed in the city of Nuremberg in 1493. Nearly 1500 copies were printed in Latin and another 1000 were printed in German. An unauthorized version was also published in Augsburg four years later. The book was compiled by the Nuremberg physician Hartmann Schedel.
The Nuremberg Chronicle relates the history of humanity as given by the Bible, and supplements that with the events following the birth of Christ up until the late Fifteenth Century. The Chronicle broke new ground in printing by its immense popularity. Buyers were drawn to it because of its wonderful colored illustrations, many of which were also sold separately as prints. The book was also important for being the first in which the illustrations worked together with the words to tell the story.
The illustrations in the Nuremberg Chronicle portray saints, martyrs, popes and other mythic or historic persons, as well as locations and events. There were nearly 650 original woodcuts used for the illustrations in the book. Interestingly, many of the people and places are portrayed by the same illustration, which was a common practice in early printed works. The same woodcut was used to portray Hercules and Aristotle, and the city of Alexandria is identical to Athens and Prussia. Many of the city views are authentic though, especially if they were of communities in central Europe that were familiar to the artists.

Collecting, Loving And Appreciating Reversed Maps

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

North is up and east to the right. That is correct. Or is it? The famous “Blue Marble” photo taken from Apollo 17 was originally oriented with the North Pole at the bottom, Madagascar left of center and Africa to right. It was re-oriented to fit the conventional Northern Hemisphere views.

The original “Blue Marble” photo is a reversed map or a map that is oriented with the south at the top. Roman astronomer Ptolemy established the convention of north is up when he used it in his main work, “Geographia,” which contained all known world geography of the time. It was reinforced when European sailors began using the North Star and the magnetic compass in navigation. The orientation of maps prior to this was east because the sun rises in the east. The word orientation comes from the word east.

Reversed maps appeal to any one with a unique worldview because they literally turn your world upside down. It’s a different world when Indonesia is at the center.

More rare than north-up maps, reversed maps have always been sought by map collectors. They can be found in each time period and in a variety or orientations. Some modern creations are beautiful works of art and some humorously turn Northern bias upside down.

As the planet moves toward a global economy, reverse maps remind us we are not all the same. Many people have a completely different worldview. Hanging one on the wall is a great symbol for cultural understanding.

Typical Polar Maps Are Intriguing To Collect And Study

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Polar maps are enjoyable to collect and compare: Maps are available for all periods of time; however, the maps from the 18th and 19th centuries are particularly collectible. The hobby is unique in that wherever the world region, political boundaries do change over time: so collecting antiquarian maps and comparing them with contemporary maps of the same region is a history lesson in and of itself.

Too: different materials in way of paper lend to the hobby of polar map collecting; and map collecting in general.Is this new to you? Catch up here In example, a lithograph is one example of a polar map you may purchase dating from the 18th or 19th century. The lithograph is a copy of an actual map. Probably many of these lithographs were made during the time period and distributed, accordingly. The lithograph process is interesting too, in that the map was originally etched on stone rather than metal. This means the process was a very tedious and time-consuming task, especially when you compare it to today’s methods of map making. The map making process for the era is yet another reason why map collectors enjoy hoarding a nice stash of valuable, old antiquarian maps.

The polar region presents promise to the collector as it is not considered as significantly as other parts of the world such as Europe or Asia. The antiquarian polar map is quite a prize once you have acquired it. Generally-speaking, this type of map runs around the one-hundred dollar to one-twenty dollar mark for a lithograph; or for a polar map that is in good condition, originating from an old atlas. You touch and look at a map which others during the time period referred: plus, can you imagine the type of unique explorer who was in possession of a polar map?

Maps are naturally suggestive of accompanying travel(s) to the area during the time period. Map collectors languish over the map thinking what journeys of this sort were like; with ships plunging into icy cold waters”the activity requires the polar map enthusiast to be a bit of a romanticist at heart with regard to the topic of geography. Suffice it to say: any map enthusiast/collector is remiss not to add this very “cool” (well so to speak) map to his or her burgeoning collection of antiquarian maps.