The Map Room

Jonathan Longobardi writes:

I recently came upon an 1776 map of New York Island that came from an atlas that accompanied the first edition of John Marshall’s The Life of George Washington published in 1807. It is truly a beautiful map and I would love to have it framed and hanging on my wall someday. So here’s the thing, I know nothing about maps. I liked it so I bought it ($35 can’t go wrong, right?). It definitely is in need of repair as it has yellowed over the years. I live in Manhattan but am of modest means, to say the least. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in either restoring the map gratis (I know, I know, but I have to ask) or at a relatively low cost? I’m trying to save money for my wedding next summer so funds aren’t exactly plentiful.

I don’t think free map restoration is likely for a map in a private collection, but I thought it would be worth sharing his question to see what the options are for this sort of thing.

Whelden Merritt has a question:

I am searching for a term or a name for fraudulent entries on maps and I don’t mean map traps as attempts to protect copyright.

What I mean is proposed streets and subdivisions that seem to be suggested by developers and entered into maps by officials of local planning departments.

By some strange process these proposals find their way into Google satellite images as translucent lines with names on them.

There are two such streets converging at right angles on our house as though a bulldozer could appear at any minute.

A few hundred yards away, some developer actually sold a plat out in the woods, but the official county planning website shows, on the one hand, the plat and the proposed street while, on the other hand, declares that there are no development activities at the site.

Do you know if such fictitious streets and subdivisions have a name?

I don’t know the answer (or maybe I’m overthinking it). Anyone?

Ralph Jackson writes, “I was a cartographic scriber in the United States Air Force a few decades back. I was quite fast and accurate with this skill. Is scribing still used anywhere in map production today or has it gone out with the horse drawn plow?” Here’s the Wikipedia entry on cartographic scribing; just because something was done by hand doesn’t mean it wasn’t technologically impressive for its day.

David Thulin is searching for a geotagging camera:

I have been looking far and wide for the tools needed for immediate and automatic geotagging of images taken. My quest took me through Yahoo! Answers, numerous searches through forums and gadget-sites — all without success.

The GE E1050 is what brought me to you — but, alas, we both seem to have come to the conclusion that although it comes close, it does not really do it.

Now — to put things clearly: is there, anywhere, a consumer/prosumer point and shoot camera which immediately embeds long/lat (and maybe even altitude) figures into the EXIF-data of images taken?

Now this is a good question. The only solutions I’m aware of are external devices that connect to cameras (such as Ricoh’s 500SE camera, which accepts such a module, the Jobo Photo GPS, or, for Nikon DSLRs, the GeoPic II or other options) or GPS loggers that embed the geodata when you get back to your computer. But an all-in-one option?

Darren McEntee writes, about my post about using Google My Maps KML in mashups,

Can you please add a small piece of info in regards how to add a KML file to Google My Maps? I have tracked some past trips of mine via GPS, and saved a few KML files on my server, but I would really like to add my trips to the Google My Maps. If you have time please post this information. I can not find much data on the net about this.

There are people more qualified to deal with this question, and maybe they’ll even post in the comments, but here’s my stab at it:

Darren has it backwards, I think: My Maps is a way of creating KML easily, and storing it, not of displaying it. He doesn’t need it: he’s already created the KML and uploaded it to his server. What he’s looking for is a way to present it, and there are several options for that. A simple link on a web page would allow people to view his KML in Google Earth, and would also get him indexed by Google.

But the point of the entry Darren referenced was that you could integrate a KML file made with My Maps into a mashup, because the Google Maps API reads KML as a map layer. Just add the following code — after var map(); but before function(load); —

var geoXml = new GGeoXml("http://server.com/dir/file.kml");

Darren doesn’t need My Maps to show his trips; he can do it on his own web page.

What am I missing?

Nicholas Forbes writes with an interesting question about why people follow bad directions — covered here ad nauseaum — that is above my pay grade: I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Nottingham UK. I have been running…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Earle writes, “I live in San Francisco and am planning a trip to NW India. At home I use a Garmin GPS sensor attached to a PC laptop with Windows XP operating system. Do you know of map software for…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Recently I’ve received a couple of very similar questions: both are from people asking how to edit and manipulate scans of paper maps. Chris Ellison writes, I am a history teacher who regularly uses maps for teaching purposes. The thing…  •  Continue reading this entry.

M. Krause writes, “I’m starting a small antique map collection and would like to keep track of it on my computer (Macintosh). Is there map collection software available that will keep track of my inventory? I have searched the web…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Kirk Woerner asks a question that might have an obvious answer, but it’s an interesting one: On some maps (both online and offline) there are “towns” that do not exist. What are these and why are they on maps? Are…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Tony Straka is looking for a way of creating maps of imaginary places with open-source web mapping tools. He writes, “One thing I have searched for is fictional maps created with one of these programs and I cannot seem to…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Charles Ryan writes, “I am looking for information on copper engraved plates used — many, many years ago — for producing maps and charts, particularly for Naval Hydrographic Office charts. Can you recommend a source for doing some research or…  •  Continue reading this entry.

My turn to ask a question. As I mentioned in my review of Kashuba’s Walking with Your Ancestors, I volunteer for a local archive that has a small collection of maps that I should, at some point, catalogue. I’d like…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Jeff’s getting married, and he needs to provide directions to the wedding’s small-town location. We’re getting ready to order and send out invitations for our wedding, which will be in a small town in Wisconsin. None of the mapping sites…  •  Continue reading this entry.

S. P. Low from the University of Singapore, looking for software to make cartograms, writes: We are working on a project that attempts to track the global construction market using cartograms, such as those rectangular cartograms used by the World…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Tim Tierney writes, “I heard that there was a feature about online mapping services that aired on 4-7-06 [i.e., Friday] on one of the morning TV news shows (possibly ‘Good Morning America’ or the ‘Today Show’) but I can’t find…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Evan Roberts asks, Why do you think Google hasn’t integrated USGS topographic quads as a layer in Google Earth? Not enough of a demand? Not relevant to its business model? Don’t want to step on the toes of GPS partners?…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Richard Crawford writes, “Is there any software that will enable my Mac to open and read the Ordnance Survey Software and maps that I have on my PC? Or another program for Mac that will open .qct, .qem or .mmi…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Ted Czarnecki writes, “I am a teacher and our school is trying to improve students’ knowledge and familiarity with geography. Does anyone know of a large 3-D (hands on) map that we could purchase and install on a hallway wall?…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Recently I’ve received several questions relating copyright and reproducing other maps, so I thought I’d deal with them all at once. The first question deals with reproducing maps that may or may not be in the public domain; the second…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Google Maps may no longer work in older versions of Safari, Apple’s web browser. Joel Riggs wrote yesterday: “For the past 24 hours it appears that maps.google.com (aka Google Local) is not loading in Safari browsers … is this an…  •  Continue reading this entry.

If J. Little were just putting something on the web, I’d advise him/her to use Google Maps, but s/he’s looking for something s/he can publish: “If I wanted to make a map of the area surrounding Lake Michigan and add…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Mike S. writes, “I have looked many places to find semi-detailed SVG maps of cities or countries. Does anyone know where they are sold or available? I am looking for Japan in particular, but others would be great to browse.”…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Readers have written in asking about wall-sized maps before, but Joe Thompson is looking for something a lot more specific. Actually, in his case, the charts he wants are too big; he’s looking for a way to make them smaller:…  •  Continue reading this entry.

One question I’ve received more than once (and that I know nothing about) is about maps as a career. According to last spring’s survey, most of us are amateurs rather than professionals: 68.3 per cent of you identified yourselves as…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Marco Fioretti is looking for GIS PHP modules. He writes, “I have an urgent project to work on which includes processing GIS data with PHP, and I’d really like to start with something which is already tested.” My original post…  •  Continue reading this entry.

I’ve talked about using a GPS with a Mac before, and even — back when this blog’s audience was a fraction of what it is now — solicited my readers’ opinions on which GPS I, as a Mac user (or…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Pablo Halkyard writes: I am trying to find out about a German cartographer, Matthaeus Seutter (1678-1757) who drew and published a map called “Le Pays de Perou et Chili” (The Countries of Peru and Chile). I am trying to find…  •  Continue reading this entry.

We’ve dealt with the questions of where to buy a very big wall-sized world map and which world atlas is best, but these subjects came up on Ask MetaFilter recently, and you might find some of the answers useful: the…  •  Continue reading this entry.

John Frum is on a mission to collect maps showing political boundaries that never existed — “what I for want of a better word call ‘what if’-maps,” he writes. For example, the map of Europe drawn up by the Germans…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Shonin writes: I was wondering if anyone would know where to get a fairly large wall map of the U.S. that only showed county outlines? I used to have one a long time ago, but I have not been able…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Robin Hall writes, “Saw the piece on the back of Online in The Guardian today and am interested in starting a project here in Letchworth.” (See previous entry.) “Given that I have access to a group of people interested in…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Debbie MacPherson writes, “I’m wondering if you know where I can find a picture of the mapmakers Jan Jansson and Herman Moll for an exhibit I am working on called Places & Spaces. I appreciate any help you could provide.”…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Jimmy Bloom writes, “I have several encyclopedias and dictionaries of imaginary, lost and misplaced islands, continents etc., but am wondering if someone has produced a wall map of such things suitable for framing and mounting.”…  •  Continue reading this entry.

David Kim asks, “I was wondering how valuable old Paris subway maps are, in general (if such a question can even be answered)? I am talking about the 1937 map of the Metro you had on your site a while…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Don Sattler writes, “I’m in London on vacation and would love to purchase a large map of the tube system to hang on my office wall. I can’t seem to find one. Do you know of any shops that might…  •  Continue reading this entry.

From time to time I get a question from someone who wants to know how much a map they have is worth. I’ve been reluctant to post these questions individually because it could be construed as free advertising; also, the…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Lorraine Brace writes, “We have a very old and important cloth map of the Village of Norwood that is very fragile and we need advice as to how to preserve it from any further deterioration.” She’s writing from Norwood, Ontario,…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Skip Armstrong works for an adventure travel company in Costa Rica, and would like to make a map. But he’s not sure where to start: I would like to create a map of the rivers of Costa Rica and would…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Dave Van Epps writes, “I am trying to locate maps that together will give me information at approximately 10,000-year intervals, back to 100,000 years ago, of coastlines, glaciers, continents, major rivers and seas.” Presumably he’s looking for the changes wrought…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Jason Endres is trying to survey his property. I recently purchased 50 acres of rolling forest land and I am trying to find the best means to create a fairly precise topographic map of the area. In addition to the…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Brod Berser writes: I have the [National Geographic] Topo! California regional software and a Garmin III+ GPS. I would like to make a trail map for Torrey Pines State Reserve here in San Diego. There is a hand-drawn map but…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Marc asks, “Which is the best overall general-purpose atlas I can buy? My criteria would include depth, detail and quality of design.” There are, of course, several options, including the Great, Hammond, National Geographic (Amazon, National Geographic Store), Oxford University…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Bruce Frank asks a question that rings a bell with me, but I can’t put my finger on it: I’m looking for mapping software that I can edit and add my own tracks (places I’ve been) when I’ve made deployments…  •  Continue reading this entry.

James Geluso writes, “I’m looking for a really good world hydrological map. I’m especially interested in one that shows not just watercourses, but makes it easy to see the basins. I have the National Geographic Sept. 2002 map, ‘A Thirsty…  •  Continue reading this entry.

(Questions are coming in fast and furious here at The Map Room; I’m afraid I’ll have to be selective. This little experiment is working far better than I had expected.) Rocco Cammarota writes, “Can I get a map (aerial view)…  •  Continue reading this entry.

Brian Hennessey writes, “I’m planning a trip to Europe this summer and can’t seem to find a map that I can fold and unfold to look at for planning purposes and has all the names of the cities in English….  •  Continue reading this entry.

About a year and a half ago, there was a big stink in Canada over the first issue of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s magazine, PureCanada, which had an unacceptable number of errors and omissions (see this post from July 2003,…  •  Continue reading this entry.

For our very first question, Sven Cahling from Sweden wonders whether anyone can recommend “a really good and beautiful world wall map.” I presume that means he’s looking for something that’s not only informative, but aesthetically pleasing as well. I…  •  Continue reading this entry.