10/3/12
I found this map on google by simply searching for "maps of Newport Beach CA". It appears on a website titled "Fun Maps USA". I realize this may not be a scholarly source, but nevertheless I thought this map was quite a unique piece. This is a birds-eye view of the city of Newport Beach, CA, with many "points of interest" decorated with cartoon artwork. Not only does the map show points of interest, but it includes short "blurbs" about popular destinations throughout Newport Beach. The map gives a simplistic yet entertaining view of Newport's beaches, the Newport Harbor, the Back Bay, and the many small islands in and around the harbor. The main reason I chose this map is because I am a Newport Beach native. I was born and raised there my whole life, so to me this map is home. But aside from that fact, this map mainly caught my attention due to the intense colors and artwork. Some maps can seem quite bland and dull, making it hard to be interested in what the map is trying to convey. But this map uses color, artwork and cartoons to capture one's attention, and it works. I was immediately drawn to this map. It is fun to look at, easy to read, and entertaining. And it is fairly accurate as well. Perhaps the scale is not spot on, but locations seem to be more or less correct. Overall, this is a pretty fun map to look at.
Source: Fun Maps USA
http://funmapsusa.net/view/newport-beach-california
This is a map of the world from around 1666. It appears that this map comes from a website called CreativePro.com, in which an author (unknown) wrote an article about the art and skill of map making. As one can see, this map is missing the North Western corner of North America. This is because at the time this map was made map makers simply did not know what the North Western edge of North America looked like. Map makers were unfamiliar with the terrain, and therefore were forced to leave it off of the map completely. Additionally, Antarctica is left off of the map as well due to the lack of knowledge about the region in 1666. That is what intrigues me about this map. It was made at a time when a large and important part of the Earth was yet to be discovered and therefore unknown by Europeans. Today maps are known to be as accurate and precise as possible. It is fascinating to see an old map that leaves a part of the world blank. Also, the detail and artwork throughout the map is extraordinary. Not only is the world itself full of extreme detail, but the art surrounding the world is beautiful. It is rare to come across a map like this these days. This type of map making seems to be a lost art.
Source: CreativePro
http://www.creativepro.com/article/heavy-metal-madness-mapmaker-mapmaker-make-me-a-map
I found this map on a site titled The Cartographic Panorama, which consists of a collection of maps drawn by Heinrich Caesar Berann. Berann is considered the father of the modern cartographic panorama. This image shows the incredible complexity of the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It is as though the ocean has been drained and one is getting a full view of the ocean floor. It is quite amazing. I was fascinated by this image because it is a map of something we virtually can't see with our naked eye. Most people have no idea what the ocean floor looks like. Looking at maps such as this is the only way we can have any idea what lies beneath the ocean's
surface. This map is extremely detailed and from what I can tell, fairly accurate as well. The almost three dimensional aspect of the map makes it truly unique. It is interesting and informative. I have always been fascinated with the ocean, and this map takes some of the mystery out of the ocean floor. I have always known the basics of plate tectonics, the Pacific plate, the ring of fire, and all of the geologic forces taking place underneath us. But this map gives a visual of things that I only picture in my head. When trying to understand the geography and geology of the Earth, I would say maps such as this are essential.
Source: Codex 99: The Cartographic Panorama
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&tbo=d&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1680&bih=956&tbm=isch&tbnid=j3D8W-VTblL5KM:&imgrefurl=http://www.codex99.com/cartography/64.html&docid=Hbleup2M9JArHM&imgurl=http://www.codex99.com/cartography/images/berann/pacific_lg.jpg&w=2000&h=1516&ei=07hsUJylF6ryiQL2n4HwBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=342&sig=100485945575774154934&page=1&tbnh=152&tbnw=202&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:106&tx=89&ty=97
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