29 Sept 2006

blistering barnacles

and to continue a bit my last post. I am terribly fascinated by maps; even though i cannot read them all of course, and carrying a map is certainly no guarantee that i won't get lost (yeah, i am the type of person who'd get lost even in own room) - especially since my curiosity usually gets me carried away and prevents me from sticking to a precise route. It's just one of those weird fascinations that i have. And visiting The National Museum of Old Maps and Books (which at the time being only displays the old maps) stirred my curiosity in the domain even more. (Apparently, this museum is the fourth in the world, according to its dimension and collection of maps). Which is why i was very, very glad to discover a great cartography blog, which is, in fact The Canadian Cartographic Association's weblog.

And, as a snapshot, going again these days through the mapdesign part of mapmaking reminded me about an interesting post from Ben, who asks the question of cliché vs. crystal clear communication :D.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am fascinated by old maps ... especially some of the first that were made. I love the way they intertwine as much story as possible ... so that close inspection provides you with emotive as well as practical advice. Oh, and they are beautiful ... works of art -- what more can you ask for?

diana said...

yes, that's what fascinates me as well in old maps...together with the incredible conservation of colours and the way they speak about history and internationational relations and so on :). and i really agree with the fact they actually are works of art; that's why i appreciate the existance of such a museum.