Category Archives: Maps

Maps Clear Up Any Confusion

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

While visitors to the U.S. are often confused by the language that we use to describe commonplace things in our culture, those of us who were born here are frequently baffled as well by the linguistic choices of other Americans. … Continue reading →

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A trip to Middle Earth

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Serious JRR Tolkien fans should begin planning a visit to Oxford next summer for the groundbreaking exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth. The show, which will be created by the Bodleian Library, will explore the world of Tolkien’s literary imagination through the largest … Continue reading →

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Really Useful Metro Mapping

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you are a regular reader of TBTP, you are well aware of my obsession with public transit maps. This one is actually amusing and useful. The folks at the Thrillist Washington D.C. website have augmented the city’s already excellent … Continue reading →

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Detour for Free This Summer

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The very popular location-aware travel guide app Detour usually cost $5, but for the rest of this summer it’s absolutely free. With 16 U.S. and international cities currently covered, including NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, and Paris, the audio walking … Continue reading →

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Really Big Books

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Thanks to the British Library, bibliophiles and map geeks can now view the second largest atlas in the world online. The colossal book was a gift from Dutch merchant Johannes Klencke in 1660 to King Charles II of Great Britain. The massive … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Books, ebooks, Europe, History, Libraries, Maps, Middle East, Museums, Photography, Tech | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hashtag Paris

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you have every been to Paris, you know that making efficient use of the city’s Metro system can be the key to a successful visit. With that thought in mind, Berlin-based journalist and amateur map-maker Tim Fischer has created … Continue reading →

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All Roads Lead To Rome

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

University of Chicago geography major Sasha Trubetskoy created this clever metro map-styled visualization of major Roman roads circa 125 AD. Although he admits to taking some liberties with road names, it’s a brilliant idea. You can learn more about his … Continue reading →

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Iceland in Perspective

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently speaking with a friend about the joys of traveling around Iceland and the incredible emptiness of the rugged landscape. These NASA satellite images of the island nation do a much better job illustrating my point than I … Continue reading →

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See NYC from the sea

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you are one of the millions of folks who will be visiting New York City this summer, be sure to take advantage of the recently relaunched and expanded passenger ferry service between the boroughs. As you can see from … Continue reading →

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Take A Hike

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Many years ago, I set off on a four month camping and hiking trip in Europe with ridiculously poor gear. To be fair, back then light weight equipment was virtually nonexistent. I lugged around a tent, sleeping bag, cooking and … Continue reading →

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