Geography

Chicago

Chicago has always been one of America's most iconic cities. Sitting in the heart of the Midwest, since the dawn of the country the Windy City has always been a passageway for travelers traveling from coast to coast. The diverse city has been a nexus of American culture. Many consider it the metropolis that best exemplifies the national architecture, as the sky scraper was birthed there (arguably) and the country's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, was based out of there for much of his career. Chicago is a city, like San Francisco, that very much has a unified architectural style. That is largely the result of the Chicago Fire og 1871. The fire completely decimated the city. And like the San Francisco 1906 earthquake, had to be practically rebuilt from the ground up. Here are 9 amazing maps--some before the fire and others fire from 1859-1938. Enjoy!

1859

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Hollywood

Hollywood was originally known as the Cauhenga Valley in the mid 19th century. However, in 1886 H.J. Whitley dubbed the area Hollywood and the name stuck. By the turn of the century the neighborhood had grown to become a small town. By 1912, major film making companies  had taken up shop in Los Angeles. In those days, Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company held many patents with film technology. It drove a lot of filmmakers out west, and coupled with the bright sun year round weather of Southern California, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO and Columbia all became headquartered in the neighborhood. After that, the rest is history, as Hollywood's reputation in teh 1920s as Tinseltown became solidified--rife with movie stars glamour and film industry hedonistic excess. Visualize the development if this particular patch of the world globe in the following nine beautiful maps.

H.H. Wilcox & Co 1887 Map of Hollywood

H.H. Wilcox was one of the very firs people in history to own property in the newly dubbed Hollywood area. Him and his wife Daeida named dubbed their ranch Hollywood after moving from the midwest. H.H. Wilcox & Co was his real estate company.

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Mars

While we specialize in world globes, sometimes it is good to extend one's gaze into the heavens. Mars has been of particular interest recently, after NASA recently found water on the planet. Last year, The Martian, with Matt Damon highlighted the red planet as well. With the Curiosity Rover getting more and more pics of the planet, we are learning more about it than we ever had. With many planned missions to Mars on the horizon in the next decade or so, it is the next frontier for humanity to conquer as we venture farther and farther into space. Nothing will beat the beauty of our own special world globe here on earth, but Mars is a close second!

Ordinance Survey

The famous UK mapping agency Ordinace Survey created this beautiful map of Mars with their distinctive class and style. Using data from NASA, see about 3.8 million square miles of Mars surface with this colorful map. Be sure to bring this next time you venture to the red planet to find your way around.

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1639 Map

This map was made by Johannes Vingboons of the Dutch West India Company in 1639. For most of the seventeenth century, California was thought to be an island. Find where the would-be Los Angeles would be located!

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London

London, England is one of the world globe's greatest cities. Historic, enormous, diverse and innovative, this city has been one of the great hubs of human activity for almost 2000 years when the ancient Romans originally set up the city. Here are 12 amazing maps of the famous city to help deepen your appreciation of the metropolis.

London's Daily Commutes

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New Perspectives on Paris

Artistic Rendering of Paris

Here, an artist renders the world's most beautiful city as if it is merging with the surrounding environment. Not cartographically accurate, this impressionistic map is still a pleasure to get drawn into.

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Australia

Australia is a very big country. Known for its attractive but rowdy people, famous Hollywood actors, koalas, kangaroos and hot sun, there is a lot to love in the country that has a lot of land.  Without seeing Australia on a world globe where its size is accurately rendered, it can be hard to truly wrap your mind around its girth. That being said, the country is also relatively empty, Australia is a very, very large continent that is almost all desert. The large majority of the country's population are concentrated on the coasts, understandably. The coastal cities of Australia contribute to its famous surfing and beach culture. Fine some of the beach beaches of the world globe in the country that used to be a penal colony. In the meantime, to get an idea of Australia's super vast landmass, here are some awesome maps to help give some perspective.

Countries that Fit Into Australia

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Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us. It is time to rejoice in the family time that comes at the end of the year and to find gifts for your loved ones. Globes are an indispensable part of the home. Set in a living room, library, bedroom or office, they are a great thing to reference when discussing current events, and with their warm glow, just feel like home. Teach your son about the world, or give your wife a new beautiful piece of furniture to liven up the living room. Globes appeal to people of all backgrounds, ages, genders and nationalities. Everyone likes tot have the world at their fingertips, so why not bring the beauty of our planet closer to a loved one's with a stunning, hand crafted globe? Here are some of our favorites, to help get your world globe shopping process started. Take advantage of all of our holiday sales to get these stunning artisanal products at amazing prices until the new year!

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Alaska

As you may have heard, American President Barack Obama just announced on the eve of his recent trip to Alaska that he was restoring the name of the highest mountain in the state to Denali, from its previous name of Mt. McKinley. The mountain previously held the name after President William McKinley. The former president had never even visited Alaska or the mountain itself as Alaska became a state in 1959 and 25th President of the United States died in 1901 (he was assassinated just six months into his second term). Most Alaskans are praising the decision, as Denali has been the native name of the mountain stretching back into history. However, many citizens and politicians of Ohio (where McKinley was from) are criticizing Obama for his supposed abuse of power. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said that if he is elected president he will change the name back to Mt. McKinley.

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Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale was considered the first American spy in history. Fighting for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary war, he voluntarily undertook a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. Dressed in disguise, he was sent on an intelligence gathering mission in New York City. However, he was subsequently caught by the British and executed for espionage. His last words ring in American history, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." There now stands a statue of this American hero In Langley, Virginia, at the Central Intelligence Agency's headquarters.

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