Good to be back

Posted on September 6, 2017 by marleen

It’s been way to long since my last blogpost up on the site. The good news is I’ve been busy, with a lot of things that are map related also. At work, I am getting started with organising the International Conference on the History of Cartography (ICHC) that will be held in Amsterdam in 2019. I have the honour of being the conference director, a job I am happy to take on. This project already brought great fun and I have the luck to be working with great people on this project. Our workfun started in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, last July at the 2017 edition of the conference.

For now, I just wanted to let you guys know that Maps and the City is still alive and kicking, even though I am just a little less active online. Drop me an e-mail if you have any suggestions what you would like to read about. And also, for more regular updates check our Facebook page!

Feeling Blaeu

Posted on April 26, 2017 by marleen

Well, you can definitely add this one to your to do list when visiting Amsterdam this summer: go see the exhibition ‘The world according to Blaeu | Master Cartographer of the Golden Age’ in Het Scheepvaartmuseum (the maritime museum in Amsterdam). The centerpiece of this exhibition is a huge map of the world by Joan Blaeu, dating from 1648. Visitors -older & young, because you better start infusing map love to your young ones rather early!- can look into the tiniest details on the map using magnifying glasses. It’s on show until 31 December, so make sure you fit it into your plans for that upcoming city trip to Amsterdam.

Photo credits: Kenneth Stamp

Pssst: Remember the map jacket photo shoot I did back in 2012? That was also at the Scheepvaartmuseum, one of my favourite museums in Amsterdam.

Literature & Maps Combined: Readable Amsterdam

Posted on October 7, 2016 by marleen

One of the latest additions to my map collection at home: this Leesbaar Amsterdam map of Amsterdam. Created by Yolanda Huntelaar, Louis Stiller and Erik Nieuwenhuis, this map guides you through the city through quotes from literature, poems and songs. It’s cleverly designed showing you streets, water, parks etc filled up with quotes that actually match the location on the map perfectly. It is possible to wander through literature by simply looking at the map. Or, to stroll down the streets of your city and learn more about authors or singers with a strong connection to your own neighbourhood.

And after the big success of the literary map of Amsterdam, the map of Bergen will be presented this weekend. Bergen is a small town in the Netherlands with a very rich local history filled with authors and poets. So, if you like literature and maps, this might be a perfect gift for you. Best to be combined with a trip to Amsterdam and/or Bergen of course, so this could be your perfect excuse for a city trip! You’re welcome.

Map room treasures from Oxford

Posted on September 23, 2016 by marleen

Well, since the holidays are only 1 nod away (at least it feels like it when autumn kicks in) I thought it could be useful to help you with some map inspired gift ideas. We’re starting off with this beautiful book just published in Oxford: ‘Treasures from the Map room’. I know from first hand that the map room of the Bodleian Libraries holds some very beautiful treasures, such as the awesome map below (I wrote my thesis on cartoon maps during my masters programme in Oxford).

But, lets get back to the wishlist for the holidays this year. Check out this beautiful publication, edited by Debbie Hall. You might want to add this to your personal wishlist!

Just a few hours in Paris

Posted on January 30, 2016 by marleen

Well, if you happen to be in Paris for just a day and you just don’t know where to start choosing what to do/see/eat/visit, here’s the perfect little helper. The guys at TripAside created this Layover Map of Paris for you to help you decide what to do.The map suggests a route through Paris composed with tips from locals: charming streets, good food, Paris-highlights and nice boutiques to do some shopping for your crew at home! TripAside will send you a PDF of the map for free if you just drop them an email.

Squeeze that map!

Posted on September 27, 2015 by marleen

This is a great invention. Dénes Sátor, a design student from Hungary, was inspired by globes and created this egg-shaped map. If you squeeze the map it pops out and shows you details of the city of Budapest. So, if you are stressed out about finding your way around Budapest, this map could be of assistance in two ways: reducing your stress levels and showing you the right way! Great thinking.

Fascinating nuclear detonation maps

Posted on August 10, 2015 by marleen

Look at this. Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology, developed this NUKEMAP: the map shows the impact of nuclear detonation. NUKEMAP uses Google Maps info: you can select any location in the world. Also you can use presets such as detonations from the past (either pick that location or yield -in kilotons-. Imagine what the Hiroshima explosion would do to your hometown. Impressive to see, plus it is an interesting use of maps to visualise information.

The map screen shots below show:
1. The impact of the Little Boy (used in Hiroshima 70 years ago) on Amsterdam
2. The impact of the W-78 (in the current US arsenal) on New York

MATC loves Wallpapered

Posted on April 21, 2015 by marleen

Looking for a website with a lot of mappy options in one place: try visiting Wallpapered.com. Obviously there are more websites where you can order wallpapers, but these guys really understand the beauty and awesomeness of maps. And we like that at MATC HQ! You can order various ‘standard’ map wallpapers, but you can also request information about a custom made map wallpaper, for instance with a map of your own city or region.

I’ve entered my information to request more information about a custom map wallpaper with specific measurements, and the quick reply I got seems prove of their high service level. The only thing left for me to do is figure out what map to choose and to convince my boyfriend we should really add some map wallpaper to our home.. Wish me luck!

And here’s a preview of the website when you request more information about your specific map:

Fractal beauty

Posted on March 15, 2015 by marleen

Have you ever seen these maps by Emily Garfield? These are maps of imaginary places (and, also of existing cities). The structure of the drawings is ‘inspired by the visual language of maps and the fractal similarity that cities share with biological processes such as the patterns of cells and neurons’. I am really not an expert in biological processes but I immediately see what she means. And I love them: these seem to be cities you want to wander around en get lost in. Enjoy your (imaginary) city trip this Sunday afternoon!

All images: Emily Garfield Art.

Map your Interior

Posted on January 15, 2015 by marleen

Looking for a pretty map to spice up your interior? Here are some suggestions:

I love this black one: a stylish option if you want to add some cartography to your home but you don’t like the look and feel of ‘regular’ world maps.

You might already know I absolutely love this website created by Waag Society showing the age of buildings in the Netherlands. You can order a map detail here.

Or, think about ordering a ‘general’ topographic map. We ordered one to decorate our hallway in our new home (we glued this map onto some hardboard, easy does it):