I went to the Museum of London yesterday to have a look at the small display of hand drawn maps in the entrance area, if you are anywhere nearby this is well worth a short visit.
Each of the maps gives a very personal view of a part of London, the author’s experiences and perhaps a comment on the way a much loved part of our city has changed. They reminded me that in contrast to all of our concerns for accuracy, authority and technology, maps offer a very human way of communicating about place. Not original, I know but still a useful reality check after days of waffling on about openness and authority and stuff like that.
You can find links to a selection of these hand drawn maps (loads more than at the London Museum) here. This was one of my favourites
Paula Simoes said about her map
“As a native Londoner, it is sometimes difficult to see the city in a new light. I’ve also lived in various areas throughout the years so I don’t particularly feel as though I belong to one single neighbourhood. As a result of this, I decided to focus on an often overlooked aspect of London instead, namely its practical and often quirky loos! Quite a large area is covered here and the river acts as a good reference point to all the selected loos. I wanted my map to be useful yet fun. And let’s face it, we all need loos – whether we find ourselves living in London or just passing through.”
I am thinking about what my personal view of North London might be, I guess it would include the Heath, our favourite walks and views across the city and of course the old and new Arsenal Stadiums. What about you?
