Globe Corner Blogs

Blaeu's Atlas Maior of 1665

Here are some of what I would call “Hidden Treasures of the Store.” If I could, I would call every single map in the store a Hidden Treasure, but I will restrain myself for your sake.  These few things that I mention are not truly hidden, but do get overlooked once in a while.  So feel free to ask about them or come check them out.

Joan Blaeu’s Atlas Maior: This is an amazing atlas of the world from 1665 which contains some of the most beautiful maps I have ever seen.  The best part is if you do not want the whole world you don’t have to get it.  There are separate atlases from 1665 of France, Germany, Italy and other locations.

Continue Reading »

Hidden Treasure, Glow-in-the-dark Map of the Universe

Each day, passersby wander into our store to admire our beautiful wooden bookshelves, our selection of floor and desk globes, or our most recent acquisition, the game of Bird-Opoly. Once inside, the more resilient shopper may notice two large map drawers – ostensibly, these drawers serve only as display surfaces but they actually house some of the greatest and most unique treasures in our store.

Here is a small list of some of my favorite “hidden treasures” that aren’t in plain view but deserve to be seen and written about:

Landforms of Asia hand-drawn map by Erwin Raisz: Pen and ink reproduction map of the earth’s physical surface including mountains, plateaus, rivers, and basins. Raisz’s Landforms maps are also available for other parts of the world, including the United States, Italy, Europe, and Mexico.

Continue Reading »

Unmapped Boston

A wall map of Boston titled “Unmapped Boston,” which delineates every neighborhood, subway line, and major thoroughfare in the city, has been getting a lot of attention lately. …And we’ve got them!

In a Boston Globe article from July, the map is featured with a few other artistic interpretations of Boston in map form. Soon thereafter we had hordes of customers coming into the store, clutching crinkled clips of newspaper, putting in order after order for the map. Since it seemed so popular, we thought we ought to tell everybody why it was special.

Why then, you ask? For one, it’s the only wall map-like map of Boston we have or even know of. Secondly, it’s great for getting an idea of where the neighborhoods actually lay in relation to the transit systems and to each other. Lastly, it’s just cool looking; it is, after all, a work of art.

So, if you want something informative, stylish, and Boston-y for your wall that’s not about the Red Sox, come on in and take a closer look or visit the artist’s website.