Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1:
Page from Harrison's Description of England (1877), reprinted from the original
of 1593).
Source: University of Victoria Library.
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/reference/londonmap1.html
5.2 Diagrams
Historically, maps at much larger scales also used illustrations and dia-
grams, not to fill the void, but to embellish the geographical information
shown on what were essentially planimetric maps that depicted things like
land ownership or the extent of a map sponsor's estate. However, in some
instances, diagrams, which illustrated the essential characteristics of a
system, here, public transportation, could impart geographical information
more efficiently.
One example of the diagram for representing geography is one of the most
widely used maps by inhabitants and visitors to London - The London
Underground map (Hadlaw, 2003). By distorting geography the designer,
Beck, made the map more usable and an effective communicator about
how to move about London. What was underground was important - the
lines, stations and interchanges. His concept was to ignore what was above
