Memorabilia – The Map Room

Aurora’s Map-Themed Fountain Pens

Published on 26 February 202626 February 2026 by Jonathan Crowe

Product image from the Aurora web site showing the Fra Mauro pen and accompanying bottle of ink. Both are sitting on top of a reproduction of the Fra Mauro map. — Aurora Pen

I’m as much a fountain pen nerd as I am a map nerd, but I somehow only found out just now that Italian pen company Aurora has been releasing a collection of antique map-themed fountain pens. Each is named after a famous mapmaker, with five planned and two announced so far: the Tolomeo (i.e. Ptolemy) in 2024 and the Fra Mauro last year. Your guess is as good as mine as to who the next three will be named after. (The Aurora Instagram account seems to be the one to watch, as it’s more active than other channels.)

Only 680 of each are being made, so these are limited editions. The top and bottom finials represent an armillary and a compass rose, respectively; the trim is silver, the bodies are cellulose acetate, and the nib is 18k gold. The pens use a piston-filling mechanism.

These are not the first map-themed pens I’ve encountered, but they’re certainly the most expensive, with prices somewhere around 1,400 euros (VAT included) at the various online pen stores I’ve checked at. If they’re still in stock, that is.

Miscellaneous Maps on Silk

Published on 13 January 202613 January 2026 by Jonathan Crowe

The British comedy/panel show QI had this short bit about silk escape maps being made into underthings after World War II. (This is from episode 6 of series U, which aired in February 2024.)

The folks behind the Melbourne Map also sell a series of silk/cotton map scarves [Mappery]. Hoopy froods may be more interested in the map towels, however.

2025 Spiral Globe Ornament

Published on 9 December 20259 December 2025 by Jonathan Crowe

Thumbnail of a printable image that can be used to create a globe ornament, with instructions at the bottom.

John Nelson’s near-annual globe ornament blog posts are always a revelation. With the exception of the one time he went to 3D printing, they’re paper craft exercises that show just how many ways you can run card stock through a printer¹ and end up with a reasonable approximation of a globe. This year’s, which uses spiralled vertical strips instead of gores, is no exception.

Ordnance Survey Settles with Family Business Over Map Blanket Design Dispute

Published on 4 August 20254 August 2025 by Jonathan Crowe

The Sunday Times reports [Apple News+ link] that a small family business selling map-themed picnic blankets has reached a settlement with the Ordnance Survey. Rubbaglove’s PACMAT series was launched in partnership with the OS, but their sales “stalled” after the OS launched their own line of “almost identical” blankets, which, they said, violated their design trademark. In addition to a monetary settlement, the OS has agreed not to sell competing products for 10 years.

Map of the Month Club Launches

Published on 15 May 202515 May 2025 by Jonathan Crowe

A series of thumbnails showing various map products available from the Map of the Month Club. Nicked from Daniel Huffman’s page. — Daniel Huffman

On behalf of the Independent Map Artists (previously), Daniel Huffman is launching an experiment: a map of the month club.

For a one-time subscription fee of $200, folks can get new mappy goods sent to them each month for five months (so, $40 per month). People can explore items from multiple artists, and I hope it will help bring new attention to my colleagues—support that these individual mappers might not otherwise get if they were not part of a group. Picking out individual interesting maps can be hard, so we’re making it easy for people to receive an assortment.

That fee includes shipping. The product page lists some of what the subscription is likely to include. It’s a one-time deal, a single five-month package, for now, but may continue if it proves successful. Signups close on June 15.

Independent Map Sellers

Published on 22 November 202422 November 2024 by Jonathan Crowe

Lots of little companies and individuals making and selling maps; the Independent Map Sellers page lists a bunch of them in one handy place. “Interested in buying something special for the map enthusiasts in your life (or yourself)? Skip the giant companies and go straight to the source: there are loads of skilled, independent cartographers out there whose work you can buy!” [Daniel Huffman]

3D-Printed Lithophane Globe Ornament

Published on 8 December 2023 by Jonathan Crowe

3D lithophane globe ornament Every year, for the past few years, John Nelson has released a DIY globe ornament; this year he eschews papercraft and teamed up with Ruben Bruijning to produce a 3D-printed lithophane globe: “A lithophane is a backlit 3D object that glows brighter or dimmer depending on how thick the material is. Areas where the ornament is thin, the light more readily shines through, so it appears light. Thicker areas let less light through, so they appear darker. It’s a 3D negative.” Obviously needs a light put in it (to say nothing of a 3D printer).

Previously: Orthographic Papercraft Ornament; This Year’s Papercraft Globe Ornament; John Nelson’s Cassini Globe Ornament; John Nelson’s Dymaxion Globe Ornaments; DIY Map Ornaments.

The Return of the Map Projection Trading Cards

Published on 27 September 2023 by Jonathan Crowe

Map projection trading cards (Daniel Huffman) — Daniel Huffman

Daniel Huffman’s map projection trading cards are making a comeback. “While my colleagues and I did our best to let everyone know about these cards, some people inevitably missed out during the first print run. I’ve had many people contact me asking and hoping to get their hands on a pack or two. So, I am bringing them back for one final print run via Kickstarter,” writes Huffman. “I hope you’ll share this widely, so that we don’t miss anyone this time around, as this is almost certainly the last time these cards will be printed.”

Previously: Map Projection Trading Cards.

A Christmas Map Roundup

Published on 24 December 2022 by Jonathan Crowe

Detail from Willem Barentsz, <em>Map of the Polar Regions</em>, 1598, showing a man wearing a red suit in a sleigh being driven by reindeer. — Detail from Willem Barentsz, *Map of the Polar Regions*, 1598. Newberry Library.

The Newberry’s David Weimer explains the presence, in a 1598 map of the Arctic Circle, of a man in a red coat riding in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Maps Mania links to two Santa trackers: NORAD’s and Google’s.

In a post from last year, James Cheshire notes how Indian and Chinese laws about depicting their contested borders are reflected in Christmas ornaments made in each country. [Mappery]

Orthographic Papercraft Ornament

Published on 11 December 2022 by Jonathan Crowe

John Nelson's papercraft ornament Every year John Nelson comes up with a papercraft globe ornament for printing out, cutting and pasting together; this year’s uses Living Atlas world imagery in an orthographic projection.

Previously: This Year’s Papercraft Globe Ornament; John Nelson’s Cassini Globe Ornament; John Nelson’s Dymaxion Globe Ornaments; DIY Map Ornaments.

Map Projection Trading Cards

Published on 30 June 2022 by Jonathan Crowe

The Projection Collection (Daniel Huffman) — Daniel Huffman

Daniel Huffman’s map projection trading cards are now a thing you can order. Daniel, earlier this month:

A couple months back, I floated an idea for making some fun trading cards based on map projections. I’m very happy to report that several dozen of you responded and contributed designs to help make the set happen. I’ve been spending several weeks on managing everyone and working through logistics, and I’m pleased to now be able to offer a pre-order of The Projection Collection.

The cards can be pre-ordered here, with delivery later this year (or pickup at NACIS). Each pack has 16 cards, with complete sets not available by design—these are meant to be trading cards in the classic sense. Pre-orders will close on July 6, so you have until then.

Bert Johnson’s Map Ties

Published on 2 June 2022 by Jonathan Crowe

The late Bert Johnson’s collection of map ties—some 50 of them—has been donated to the Osher Map Library. See their Facebook post and Matthew Edney’s tweet for photos. Bert died in 2019; he was a stalwart of the Washington Map Society and friend of this blog, and apparently quite the snappy dresser.

Lego’s New Globe

Published on 16 February 2022 by Jonathan Crowe

Lego Ideas Globe If Lego’s 11,695-piece world map was not enough for you—and believe me, I understand—then they have something else for you: a 2,585-piece globe that’s 40 cm (16 inches) tall, comes with glow-in-the-dark labels, and costs US$200/C$270/£175/€200. The Brothers Brick take a brick-by-brick look² at the thing from unboxing to assembly. Kenneth Field has one and is not impressed, finding fault with the land shapes and much preferring Lego globes designed by Dirk’s Bricks (previously).

This Map-Print Basketball Hurts My Brain

Published on 15 December 202115 December 2021 by Jonathan Crowe

Spalding map-print basketball available at Urban Outfitters There is something decidedly off about a map-print basketball that stretches a Mercator projection across the basketball’s surface instead of, you know, doing it like a globe. Why? Why would they do such a thing?

It’s a Spalding ball exclusive to Urban Outfitters, it costs $29, and it hurts my brain. [r/Maps]

This Year’s Papercraft Globe Ornament

Published on 9 December 2021 by Jonathan Crowe

In what is now an annual tradition, John Nelson has released another do-it-yourself papercraft globe ornament; John says that this “this year’s ornament craft is the most straightforward yet! Just some cutting and pasting and high fives all around.”

Previously: John Nelson’s Cassini Globe Ornament; John Nelson’s Dymaxion Globe Ornaments; DIY Map Ornaments.