maps

  • US Topo – a New Generation of Maps

    Ever wonder what those squiggly brown lines are on a hiking map? Contour lines depict the shape and elevation of the terrain, including the steepness of the trail and height of the mountain. They are a dominant symbol on topographic, or topo, maps. Hikers are familiar with the standard “quad” topo map from the US… Continue reading

  • Maps for Your Reading Pleasure

    I was three chapters into reading Gertrude Bell, Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations, when I discovered the maps in the front of the book.  Gertrude Bell, “poet, scholar, historian, mountaineer, photographer, archaeologist, gardener, cartographer, linguist and distinguished servant of the state,” was instrumental in helping define the borders of modern day Iraq.  As I read… Continue reading

  • Climbing the stairs of Queen Anne

    Wednesday, May 28, was a banner evening for attendees at the annual meeting of the Queen Anne Historical Society at the Queen Anne Branch. Thomas Horton, an architectural designer, gave a fascinating and colorful presentation on the public stairways of Queen Anne Hill, showing various types of stairs, the materials of which they are made and some history of… Continue reading