Pictorial Savannah

Friend of the blog Michael Karpovage has won the Best Recreational/ Travel Map in the 40th Annual Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) Map Competition (2012). I was waiting for some exciting announcement from CaGIS but the gallery of winners is merely a list - no pictures or even links to see what these maps look like. Here are some pictures lifted  from his website.

The image above shows Side A highlighting the historic district. Here is a closer detail showing the area where we stayed recently.

Below is Side B showing a broader view and listing the attractions.

Finally, a detail showing Mr. Karpovage hiding in the shadow of an oak tree.

 Congratulations Mike!

What Could Disappear

The New York Times recently put out these interactive maps showing what areas of various US cities could disappear from rising sea levels if they are not protected. The page is a bit alarmist because the map defaults to the most extreme scenario - a 25 foot sea level rise. This is the "potential level in coming centuries" not the "probable level in about 100 to 300 years." In the extreme view you can say goodbye to Miami, New Orleans, Norfolk, Atlantic City, and most of Souf Philly, Cambridge, Mass. and Charleston:

The 5 foot rise view gives a more realistic picture of what to expect in the coming century. This also gives a good picture of areas likely to flood in an extreme storm event. Here are some examples:

Miami looks mostly OK but Miami Beach is 94% gone and the western suburbs are also looking wet.

New Orleans is in trouble again. In fact the 5 foot model is not much better than the 25 foot (88% flooded in the city and surrounding areas in the next 100 to 300 years.)

 


















Houston is dry but 68% of Galveston is under water.

Here's an animation I created for Savannah from present to the extreme followed by a side by side comparison between the 5 foot model and the 25 foot model.

Maps in Unexpected Places-Savannah Part 2

As promised here is part 2 of the Savannah edition of Maps in Unexpected Places.
Vic's on the River is a restaurant in an old warehouse, that was used by General Sherman's officers as a planning space. The main dining room showcases a map drawn by Union soldiers in the Civil War detailing Sherman's march from Tennessee through Georgia. The map was discovered during a renovation drawn onto the wall. For protection, it is framed under glass. The romantic dining lighting is poor for photography but here are some pictures I attempted. I can't find any good images of this map online so these photos are the best I have. First, the explanatory text.

The northern part of the map shows Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and the Georgia, Tennessee border region.

Lookout Mountain.

 

Some details a little further east. 

Oh and by the way, the food is excellent, too. Come for the map, stay for dinner.

Maps in Unexpected Places-Savannah Part 1

We just got back from a trip to Savannah, Georgia and saw a few interesting maps in unexpected places. This map, the first of two that I plan to spotlight, is embossed on both awnings of the new Sylvester & Co. Modern General store on Broughton Street downtown.

Here is a close up of one of the awnings. The black on gold is very striking and closely reflects the original map colors.

The map is titled "Plan of the City & Harbour of Savannah, in Chatham County. State of Georgia. A.D. 1818." It is from the "Report on the Social Statistics of Cities," compiled by George E. Waring, Jr., United States. Census Office, Part II, 1886. The map can be found online at the Perry-Castenada Library Map Collection at the University of Texas. Click below for a detailed view.

Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, who laid the city with six squares. As the city expanded more squares were added at regular intervals until there were 24. 22 of these squares still exist today in a National Historic Landmark District. These squares give the city a unique feel and charm. Major historic preservation and landscaping efforts protect the scenic and inviting character of the district.

This map, from 1818 shows the first 15 squares, with the area south of Liberty Street still undeveloped and listed as the "City Common." An empty space is cleared for Crawford Square, which sits on a "line of defense thrown up in 1814"  along the perimeter of the city.

Map 2 from Savannah will be featured in an upcoming post.