NEH Seminar: Developing Cartographic Literacy with Historic Maps

Journal

6/23/09

Map of the Route of the Expedition to Coomassie to Accompany H.M. Stanley’s Coomassie & Magdalia (1874)

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blished by Stanford’s Geographical Establishmento At bottom: “London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low & Searle”

Map near Ashanti tribe on Africa’s west coast where the land curves southward from east to west

o Modern Ghana? Accra (Ft. James) a city near middle of map

To its right, “Inkran shattered by Earthquake, 1863” A bit farther to the right: “Christianborg”

o Evidence (besides the map itself) of colonialism

Oriented north Uses Greenwich as

Prime Meridian Includes “Nautical

Miles.” & “English Statute Miles.”

o An inch appears to be b/w 5 & 10 miles

No key/legend Includes “True

North” &, ~30 degrees southwest of it, “Magnetic” Bottom right of map includes a small-scale map of Africa & Europe

up to England & Polando A dotted line indicates “Portsmouth to Cape of Good Hope

5,898 miles”o “Ashanti” over top of area covered by larger-scale map

(nearly centered on 6 degrees N, 1 degree W) Text cut off on left limit to indicate that map continues to the west? Primary rivers

o “Busum Prah R.” (alternately “R. Busum (Sacred) Prah”) in western third

o “River Volta” (alternately “R. Volta or Aswada”) in eastern third

Mountainso “Mt. Nakim (1000 ft.)” larger font than “The Camel’s Hump

(1200 ft.)” Routes

o “Probable route of Captain Butler”: dotted line spans a blank spot b/w Aninnie River & Busum Prah & “Akina?” (or “Quarman Akina?”)

o “Line of advance of Captain Glover”: dotted line spans “Adda” on River Volta through “Kibbes,” “Kumasi (Coomassie),” “Mansu,” to “Cape Coast Castle”

“Line of advance of Captain Glover” only spans a less detailed section of the line in it’s middle

Line is a deformed half circle from Atlantic up into land back down to another spot on Atlantic (not labeled)

o Routes show no direction Some withering lines (rivers?) have

arrows

Many light, dotted lines emanate from Cape Coast Castle to River Busum portion of Captain Glover’s route

Some cities include question marks: “Duabin?” “The Protectorate” in large text across southern coast

o In same font, almost perpendicular to it: “Denkera” Large labels such as “Krobo” & “Adangme” regions or tribes?

o “Tuffel” includes note: “(A mountainous country)”

Lopes, Duarte, “A report of the Kingdome of Congo, a Region of Affrica: Gathered by Philippo Pigafetta, out of the Discourses of Master Edvvard Lopes a Portugall, translated out of Italian into English, by Master Abraham Hartvvell, and here abreuiated” in Purchas, Samuel, His Pilgrimes (1625); map on p. 1006: “Hondius his Map of Congo.”

Oriented northo No compass

Limitso North: “Septentrio”o East: “Oriens”o South: “Meridies”o West: “Occiteus”

Scale in bottom right corner: “Milliaria Germanica”

o Inch appears to be ~15 miles (miles?)

Atlantic labeled “Oceanus AEthiopicus”o Ocean dotted; shore lined to show texture?

Cartouche in 3D curved design; says “Congi Regnu” in center Prime

Meridian far west; 40 degrees E stands near Greenwich Prime Meridian

Map nearly centered on 7 degrees S, 48 degrees E

Map bird’s eye view, but mountains on angle

Riverso Many rivers, but largest river

alternately “Congo rio,” “Rio Zaire,” & “Rio Vinba”

Includes many small islands Underneath “Anzicana,” a region (?) located

in mountains (or name of mountain range?): “cujus populi anthropohagi”

“Angola” in south “Bramas” in fancy script in top left corner Image that appears to be cannon dots

landscape

Chapter below map: “Of the situation of the Royall Citie of the Kingdome of Congo : of their first conuersion and Warre, thence arising betwixt the Kings two Sonnes.”

Book includes text in the margin that highlights important points, e.g. “The chiefe Citie, called San Salvatore. The situation of the Citie. The mountain whereupon it standeth.”

o Much like a modern-day high school textbook Chapter includes information on Congo’s bountiful climate

o Need to return to copy pertinent text

Nearly identical map: http://fedora.library.northwestern.edu/fedora/get/inu:inu-afrmap-4265886/inu:NWUCollectionBDef/getDefaultView

7/1/09

Shoreline Water Taxi Map

Colorful, playful, inviting, hand-drawn-seeming map aimed at showing how Shoreline Water Taxis can transport visitors to Chicago destinations

Oriented so north tilted to right by about 10 degrees as buildings are shown in bird’s eye view from a bit south of and above Field Museum

Buildings shown:o Navy Pier (labeled “Chicago’s number one tourist attraction”) structures, including Ferris

wheel Right next to main Shoreline Taxi depot

o Lake Point Tower (not labeled)o Hancock Tower (not labeled)o Water Tower (or Fourth Presbyterian Church) (not labeled)

Scale seems distortedo Wrigley Building (not labeled)o Tribune Building (not labeled)o Rectangular building next to Gleacher Center (not labeled)o Marina City (not labeled)o Merchandise Mart (not labeled)o Sears Tower (Sears Tower Skydeck labeled; multiple labels say “Taxi to Sears Tower”)o Building just west of Sears Tower (not labeled)o Union Station (labeled)o Chicago Board of Trade (not labeled)o Harold Washington Library (not labeled)o Smurfit-Stone Building (not labeled)o Art Institute (not labeled)o Aon Center (not labeled)o Field Museum (arrow w/ description)o Adler Planetarium (arrow w/ description)o Shedd Aquarium (arrow w/ description)

Outside of Navy Pier, Sears Tower, & Museum Campus, not helpful for visitorso Or, non-labeled buildings shown b/c iconic

Other structured shown:o L, centered on Loop (unlabeled)o Bridge next to Union Station (unlabeled)o Orleans Bridge (unlabeled)o Wabash Bridge (unlabeled)o Michigan Avenue Bridge (labeled)

“The start of the Magnificent Mile®”

Registered trademark of Greater North Michigan Avenue Associationo Buckingham Fountain (unlabeled)o Picasso Sculpture (not labeled)

Richard J. Daley Center not shown, thougho Scattered treeso Multiple boats in river & lake

5 Shoreline Water Taxi logos to show locations in city Omits many bridges & streets Streets fade off corners of map into greenness or whiteness Caption under pictures of people enjoying water taxi titled “Go Green!”

o Green most prominent color on map Shows general direction, landmarks, and streets, but not very detailed

o Detail isn’t purpose; it would bog down visitor

Hairoun (“St. Vincent’s Prize Winning Lager”) Beer Label Map

Shiny, circular map of St. Vincent’s Oriented north Around circular map in black lettering over gold background: “ST. VINCENT’S PRIZE

WINNING LAGER” Beneath circular map in white lettering over red background & silver border: “Hairoun”

o Carib name of St. Vincent, largest island of St. Vincent & the Grenadines before Columbus came in 1498

o Means “land of the blessed” In circular map:

o Islands in gold w/ green outline 1 large island (St. Vincent) & 19 smaller islands of varying size (Grenadines) Islands cut map in half on diagonal from northeast to southwest

o Very blue watero In black lettering to left of islands: “Island of pure Water and Quality

Beer” Why is “pure” not capitalized?

o In slightly larger black lettering to right of islands: “SVG”o Compass rose looks a bit like a Maasai shield

Gold circle w/ thin, silver ovals to show main cardinal directions Labeled “N,” “E,” “S,” & “W”

Red lines w/ pointy arrows on ends indicate 45 degrees b/w each main cardinal direction

Unlabeled Rest of label green w/ shiny green stripes & a silver border Overall design (colors, fonts, shapes) fairly jarring Tells drinker: this beer is of St. Vincent & you will appreciate your trip or be transported here if

you drink it Hairoun started by German Brewery Haase Brauerei, but wouldn’t know it from the label

o Unless green is as prominent for Haase Brauerei as it is for Heineken