From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for cent...
In this episode, Ed Parsons, digital geographer and geospatial wizard at Google, traces the history of digital mapping. He leads Jerry from its roots in Gerard Mercator’s iconic map projection, to the Google Maps we use today – and beyond….
Ed’s chosen map is the “Christian Knight” map, produced in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius in 1597. It is the first map to use Mercator’s projection after his death. The projection was hugely influential because it changed the way maps were drawn - but the Christian Knight map is also significant for another reason: it is a great example of maps that were created as propaganda.
Together, Ed and Jerry tease out why maps are made, and what purposes they serve. Who is each map meant for, and what does that mean? A Protestant map in 16th century Europe could be a rallying cry for a monarch; and a digital road map in the 20th century could transform how journeys are conceived of, and taken. But will maps always be needed – and are humans always the target audience? Tune in to find out!
And to see a high-definition image of the map as it is discussed, go to: www.oculi-mundi.com/podcast
From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.
Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it. So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?
What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.
Why not continue your exploration of the wonderful world of maps by subscribing? That way you’ll never miss an episode.
--------
31:58
Season 2 launching January 29th!
From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.
Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.
So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?
What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.
--------
2:55
S1 Ep6: Vintage Cartography: Mapping the World of Wine with Jane Anson
Jerry is joined by self-confessed map geek and wine expert Jane Anson, to talk about the remarkable maps that she created for her book ‘Inside Bordeaux’.
Jane travelled the world as a journalist before moving to Bordeaux over twenty years ago. A passionate connoisseur of French wines, she is a writer, critic, and tutor.
In this episode, Jane unfurls a beautiful map of the chateaux and terroir of the Central Médoc region. Uniquely, it shows both what lies beneath and above the ground. She explains to Jerry the fascinating creative process behind the map, along with the secrets that it unlocks about the taste, history, and prices of local wines.
To view the map as it is discussed, go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast
In What’s Your Map? we speak to people who live, love and work with maps - making, preserving, interpreting, and being inspired by them. In each episode, we ask our guests to unfold a map that is special to them and to tell us the story that lies behind it.
Jerry Brotton is a British historian with a specialist interest in cartography. He is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and is a regular on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.
Jane is the author of the beautiful book Inside Bordeaux, where she draws on recent – and groundbreaking – research carried out by experts at the University of Bordeaux to profile the terroir of key châteaux and appellations. To purchase a high-definition version of the map discussed today and her book, go to her website: https://janeanson.com/
What’s Your Map? is a Whistledown Production and is produced by Emily Uchida Finch
Instagram: @oculimundimaps
Website: https://oculi-mundi.com/
--------
32:14
S1 Ep5: Lost Treasures: Reconstructing Al-Idrisi with Adam Lowe
In this episode, Jerry is joined by Adame Lowe, founder of Factum Arte and the Factum Foundation. Factum is a pioneering digital media studio, working to record, preserve, and restore cultural heritage - particularly where it is in a fragile state.
Adam’s map is Factum’s re-creation of the world map produced by Muhammad Al-Idrisi for King Roger II of Sicily in the 12th century. The map is two metres wide, and made from pure silver.
While this astonishing object was lost to history, Al-Idrisi also produced the famous Book of Roger: an atlas containing a circular world map. Using this precious document and other historical resources, Adam and his team crafted the full-size silver disc based on meticulous research, bringing us as close as possible to the legendary lost map.
To see a high-definition image of the map as it is discussed, go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast
In What’s Your Map? we speak to people who live, love and work with maps - making, preserving, interpreting, and being inspired by them. In each episode, we ask our guests to unfold a map that is special to them and to tell us the story that lies behind it.
Jerry Brotton is a British historian with a specialist interest in maps. He is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and is a regular on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.
What’s Your Map? is a Whistledown Production and is produced by Emily Uchida Finch
Instagram: @oculimundimaps
Website: https://oculi-mundi.com/
--------
27:27
S1 Ep4: Tolkien's Pipe: Maps and Fantasy with Roz Kaveney
Content warning: this episode contains references to sexual assault
In this episode, our host Jerry Brotton is joined by writer and pioneering LBGTQ+ rights activist Roz Kaveney. Roz is best known for her cultural critiques, poetry, fantasy writing, and editing.
From Tolkien's draft map of Rohan from The Lord of the Rings, Jerry and Roz launch into a discussion about the importance of fantasy, adventure, and never giving up – no matter the odds and no matter the times that we live in.
To read more information about the map as it is discussed, go to: https://oculi-mundi.com/podcast
Roz is a regular contributor to the Guardian and The Times Literary Supplement and a core member of the Midnight Rose collective, which produced fantasy anthologies for Penguin Books. Among other works, she edited Tales from The Forbidden Planet and its sequel. Her novel Tiny Pieces of Skull won the 2016 Best Trans Fiction Lambda Literary Award. In 1972, as part of its TV/TS Drag Queen Group, Roz co-authored the ‘trans manifesto’ published by the UK Gay Liberation Front, and was part of the first London Pride march.
In What’s Your Map? we speak to people who live, love and work with maps - making, preserving, interpreting, and being inspired by them. In each episode, we ask our guest to unfold a map that is special to them, and explore the stories attached to it.
Jerry Brotton is a British historian with a specialist interest in maps. He is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and is a regular on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.
What’s Your Map? is an Oculi Mundi exploration, produced by Emily Uchida Finch of Whistledown Productions.
Instagram: @oculimundimaps
Website: https://oculi-mundi.com/
From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.
Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.
So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?
What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit http://www.Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.
UK