Making Maps the Old-Fashioned Way

The Map Room points us to a KVOA-TV story about a modern-day cartographer, Alex DiNatale who has taken up the "hobby" of drawing maps by hand.

DiNatale draws maps, by hand, in the style of surveyors of the late 1800s. And his first effort was to create a map of Flagstaff and surrounding area for the period of about 1878 to 1912.

"This is like a lost art," DiNatale said. "It's relaxing and stuff that's been in my head 10 to 15 years."

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"I was kind of bored and started doing this during the holidays and found it fun," he said. By referring to old township surveys from the time period, U.S. Forest Service maps and maps made by the precursor to the BLM, DiNatale pieced together what the Peaks and surrounding area looked like near the turn of the century. He also referred to old maps and township surveys from other communities to familiarize himself with what cartographers in the late 1800s did when drawing the maps.

Of course computer-aided-drafting programs have made drafting much quicker and easier, especially revisions. But I agree with Mr. DiNatale, modern maps just don't have the personality of the old ones prepared by hand.

Via The Map Room.