Many maps, in my view, are also work of art, regardless of their creators’ intentions. Some maps, however, are explicitly made as art, and as such are not designed to convey spatial information beyond that found in the mere geographical shapes that they contain. Increasingly, it can be difficult to tell whether a given map […] The post Map Art or Scientific Cartography? appeared first on GeoCurrents.

I was not aware of Karen Wynn Fonstad until a recent article from the New York Times “Overlooked” series. Overlooked are obituaries about people whose deaths (in this case in 2005) were unreported in the Times. Fonstad created the Atlas of Middle Earth to accompany the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. -via New York Times She had become enchanted with Tolkien’s works. Having studied cartography and completed a Master’s degree in Geography, she pitched the idea of creating an atlas to Tolkien’s American publisher. While Tolkien and his son drew the original maps* Fonstad’s atlas represents a complete picture of Middle Earth during all of its ages and across all of Tolkien’s books. It discusses the geology behind land formations and includes city maps and floor plans or important buildings. Here is a detail of Frodo and Sam’s route to Mount Doom. -via Wikipedia  Her work was well received by Tolkien fans and scholars alike. To illustrate her impressive landscape details, here is the southern section of the Misty Mountains. They have a nice Swiss Topo look. -from the American Geographical Society *also note the illustrations of Pauline Baynes

As it has been 28 years since the publication of The Myth of Continents, a book that I jointly wrote with my wife, Karen Wigen, it is time for a reconsideration of the work. The main thesis of the book is that although most continents are rooted in physical geography, the larger continental system of […] The post Revisiting The Myth of Continents appeared first on GeoCurrents.