The Thing about Maps

I thought it was time to include something not completely centred on photography here, and to start with it's maps.

I have a thing for maps. If I read anything informative, or watch a TV documentary, or visit an exhibition or gallery, you can guarantee I'll look for the map. I've been known to scoff when there is no map in a place clearly made for one, and fawn over the particularly useful, appropriate or, I must say, pretty.

If you're the same as me, and like a good map, you must check out the BBC documentary 'The Incredible Human Journey', presented by Alice Roberts and covering the expansion of mankind across the globe. Very nice use of maps. Good maps.

I don't know what it is. Boyfriend rolls his eyes. There's just something about a good map that makes it all so much clearer and more meaningful for me. I've always been a very visual/spatial learner, so that probably plays a part.

Another fantastic find for anyone who enjoys a good bit of anthropological fiction is this fabulous fansite for Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series. The books themselves do include some basic maps, but the ones developed by fans (partially based on fact, with a necessary degree of poetic license) and shown on this website are so incredibly helpful to me in following the narrative.

You should not read those books without acquainting yourself with that site. It would be wrong.

And lastly, to turn this around to the historical rather than the anthropological, I need to mention Maps of War. The representation of the spread of major world faiths is my personal favourite.

Maps. Glorious things.