Due to the shape of our planet, it’s a given that it would be impossible to depict the actual sizes of continents and other landmasses on a flat sheet of paper. However, with thousands of years of exploration under our belt, humans have been able to figure out the relative size and general shape of landmasses from decades of recording and sharing information with one another. Unfortunately, all of this time comes with a few mishaps…

The interesting maps in this From The Vault show what happens when mapmakers cut and paste features that haven’t totally been confirmed as 100% fact, whether they’re aware of it or not. Whether through resizing, deleting, splitting, fusing, or reimagining land—there’s something just a little off in these maps.

In That doesn’t Look Quite Right…, the cartographic choices the mapmakers and publishers used to portray things different aspects in their maps can help explain some of their perceived perspective of the world.

This free showing will be hosted Friday, June 27 in the Leventhal Map & Education Center with a staff member available to answer questions. This collections showing event was specially curated by our Visitor Services & Exhibition Assistant, Zaila Alves.

Drop in any time between 2:00PM - 4:00PM. No reservation is required.

From The Vault

The Leventhal Map and Education Center cares for more than a quarter million cartographic and geographic objects, including maps, atlases, charts, globes, gazetteers, ephemera, research texts, and data sets. With such an extensive collection, it is likely that many of these objects will never be included in exhibitions for public viewing.

Our latest series, From The Vault, attempts to remedy that limitation. From The Vault is a biweekly, casual collections showing of objects selected by Map Center staff. These drop-in sessions do not include a formal presentation, though Map Center staff will be available to interpret objects, chat, and answer questions.