Persuasive Cartography

November 15, 2018 12:01 AM

A collection of maps intended primarily to influence opinions or beliefs - to send or reinforce messages - rather than to communicate objective geographic information. Browse by subject.

An interview with map collector PJ Mode and a selection of his favorite pieces

Hyperallergic: Maps Made to Influence and Deceive

National Geographic: How to Make Maps and Influence People

Atlas Obscura: The Most Popular Sea Creature in Cartography and U-Boats and Octopuses Collide in These WWI Propaganda Maps

A video lecture by PJ Mode, Maps and Messages: Deconstructing Persuasive Cartography

posted by peeedro (10 comments total)

1835 version of View of the World from 9th Avenue.
posted by peeedro at 12:02 AM on November 15, 2018

Relatedly: The Octopus, a Motif of Evil in Historical Propaganda Maps
posted by dill at 4:40 AM on November 15, 2018

This is awesome, peeedro. I have a big color poster version of this one on the door of my office so students know what they're getting into.

Also, it seems to me that all cartography is persuasive cartography--perhaps most saliently maps like this one that persuade us that national borders and the centering of the Euroatlantic are "objective geographic information."
posted by sy at 5:14 AM on November 15, 2018 [3 favorites]

Including fictional places: a Dali-esque Map Showing Isle of Pleasure, ("lampoons Prohibition in its final days, before it was repealed by the 21st Amendment ... the entire map is 'replete with anti-prohibition satire, jokes, puns, alcoholic references & liquor names and innumerable double-entendres & word plays.'") found in "Alcohol"
posted by achrise at 6:01 AM on November 15, 2018

This is interesting, as maps, and their connections to names and borders especially, is always a hot topic.

I didn't follow quite every link in every article, and can't watch the video right now, but... No mention of Palestine that I caught. A pretty noticeable absence of you're talking about political maps.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 8:39 AM on November 15, 2018

You can search by keyword to see maps that include Palestine or Israel if that's your jam.
posted by peeedro at 9:15 AM on November 15, 2018

Those links are better than however I was using the search, I was only getting a couple of maps from 1940. Ta.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 9:27 AM on November 15, 2018

The archive format isn't the most user friendly. Artstor has a mirror that has the same clunky interface but seems to load a little faster for casual exploring.
posted by peeedro at 9:32 AM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Can anyone explain to me why this map gives Missouri’s nickname as “puke”?
posted by compartment at 5:59 PM on November 15, 2018

The Puke vs Sucker rivalry.
posted by peeedro at 9:39 PM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]