On Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the Map and Atlas Museum of La Jolla. The Museum hosts the impressive collection of Michael R. Stone. In the coming weeks, off and on, I will be spotlighting some of the more interesting (to me) items I saw there. For now here is a brief preview. These are my own photographs so they are a bit out of focus and may have light reflections.
Palestine from Rudimentum Novitorum, 1475. This book is considered the first world chronicle. It combined geography with myth. The maps, made from woodcuts and colored by hand show countries and regions as hills. The geographic positions are more relative than accurate.
Astronomical calendar from the cloister of San Zeno in Verona ca. 1455. Three dials can be rotated to line up months, days and moon phases. It helped monks organize their devotional schedule, including figuring out the date for Easter, a moon phase based holiday - more details here.
Pictorial map of San Diego, 1928 by Jo Mora. "This limned Carte portraying with the most exacting fidelity the History, Romance and Humour of the glorious City of San Diego by the Pacific, likewise showing the Noble Harbor and its surrounding Terraine...." Created for the Marston department store's golden (50th) anniversary.
