The Daily Render by Nikolas R. Schiller » Found Map

[Found Map] The 3rd District Police Station in Washington, DC

Nikolas Schiller — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:20:49 +0000

Over the holidays I’ve had friend’s come and visit me. When they drive to Washington, DC, I always go to the police station to get my guests temporary parking permits. Two weeks ago I noticed this display on the opposite side of the station and decided to snap a couple photos. I don’t know who designed the display, but think the juxtaposition of the photographs on the map was interesting. What this map does lack, interestingly, is a little red dot that says you are here. The photograph and the map has no geovisual correlation because the map makes no reference to the location of the Third District Police Station. Is it possible that the layout was generic and the detail photograph was inserted for each of the different police departments? I have not been to any other stations, so I don’t know if the police in 2D are as lucky as 3D. I like the display, I just wish there was a better geographic connection embodied within it. I could add one. Maybe I should. A bonus would be the map of where Zone 1 and Zone 2 parking permits are allowed. I’ve asked officers present if they had one they could show me and they’ve never had one. This important boundary map helps ensure all citizens are given the appropriate Zone to park in. Thankfully I live in a permeable boundary that allows both Zones, but what if you live in an area that is one Zone only and you happen to get the wrong one and your guest gets a $100 ticket? Not fun.

Found Propaganda Map From The Oromo Liberation Front

Nikolas Schiller — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:39:33 +0000

“OROMIA GOVERNMENT / coming soon / oh yes”

I was looking on Google Maps to see what businesses had been listed on their newly updated maps. To my surprise, I found that at the end of my block is the Washington, DC office of the Oromo Liberation Front.

The Oromo Liberation Front, or OLF, is an organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against what they call “Abyssinian colonial rule“. It has been designated a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government, but I have been unable to find what the United States Department of State considers this organization. Aside from an office down the alley from me in Washington, D.C., they also operate an office in Berlin where their Amharic and Afan Oromo radio stations broadcast.

According to the Oromo Liberation Front’s website:
The Oromo make up a significant portion of the population occupying the Horn of Africa. In the Ethiopian Empire alone, Oromo constitute about 30 million of the 55 million inhabitants of the Ethiopian Empire. In fact, Oromo is one of the most numerous nations in Africa which enjoys a homogeneous culture and shares a common language, history and descent and once shared common political, religious and legal institutions. During their long history, the Oromo developed their own cultural, social and political system known as the Gadaa system. It is a uniquely democratic political and social institution that governed the life of every individual in the society from birth to death.

Ecologically and agriculturally Oromia (Oromo country) is the richest region in the Horn of Africa. Livestock products, coffee, oil seeds, spices, mineral resources and wild life are all diverse and abundant. In spite of all these advantages, a century of colonisation by Abyssinia (Ethiopia), a backward nation itself, has meant that the Oromo people have endured a stagnant existence where ignorance and famine have been coupled with ruthless oppression, subjugation, exploitation and above all, extermination. Thus for the last one hundred years under the Ethiopian rule, the Oromo have gained very little, if anything, in the way of political, social and economic progress.

The Oromo were colonised during the last quarter of the nineteenth century by a black African nation – Abyssinia – with the help of the European colonial powers of the day. During the same period, of course, the Somalis, Kenyans, Sudanese and others were colonised by European powers. The fact that the Oromo were colonised by black African nation makes their case quite special.

During the process of colonisation, between 1870 and 1900, the Oromo population was reduced from ten to five millions. This period coincides with the occupation of Oromo land by the Abyssinian emperors Yohannes and Menilek. After colonisation, these emperors and their successors continued to treat Oromo with utmost cruelty. Many were killed by the colonial army and settlers, others died of famine and epidemics of various diseases or were sold off as slaves. Those who remained on the land were reduced to the status of gabbar (a peasant from whom labour and produce is exacted and is a crude form of serfdom).

Haile Selassie consolidated Yohannes and Meniiek’s gains and with the use of violence, obstructed the process of natural and historical development of the Oromo society – political, economic and social. In all spheres of life, discrimination, subjugation, repression and exploitation of all forms were applied. Everything possible was done to destroy Oromo identity – culture, language, custom, tradition, name and origin. In short Haile Selassie maintained the general policy of genocide against the Oromo.

The 1974 revolution was brought about by the relentless struggle over several years by, among others, the Oromo peasants. The military junta, headed by Mengistu Haile-Mariam, usurped power and took over the revolution. This regime has continued on the path of emperors Yohannes, Menilek and Haile Selassie in the oppression, subjugation and exploitation of Oromo, the settlement of Abyssinians on Oromo land and the policy of genocide.

Forced to fight against Eritreans, the Somalis and others, many Oromo have fallen in battle. Many others have died on the streets of cities and towns during the so-called “Red Terror” period and in a similar programme that has been expanded in the countryside since then. Massacres in towns and villages coupled with bombing and search and destroy programmes have caused the destruction of human lives, crops, animals and property, have driven Oromo from their land and forced them to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. Not surprisingly, this ruthless oppression and persecution of peoples has resulted in the largest flight of refugees in Africa. A very large proportion of the refugees in the Horn of Africa are Oromo.

In its attempt to oppress and eliminate the essential elements of Oromo culture, the present regime has used cover-up words such as ‘development, relief, settlement, villagization and literacy campaign’ to mislead the world. In fact most of these programmes and projects have been aimed at displacing Oromo people and denying them freedom, justice, human dignity and peace, thereby hastening the process of Amharization or de-Oromization.

The struggle of the Oromo people, then, is nothing more than an attempt to affirm their own place in history. It seeks equality, human dignity, democracy, freedom and peace. It is not directed against the masses of a particular nation or nationality, nor against individuals, but rather against Ethiopian colonialism led by the Amhara ruling class and the naftanyas (Amhara colonial settlers) and against feudalism and imperialism. Thus it is the Ethiopian colonial system and not the Amhara masses or individuals which is under critical consideration.

Today when nearly all of the African peoples have won independence, the Oromo continue to suffer under the most backward and savage Ethiopian settler colonialism. All genuinely democratic and progressive individuals and groups, including members of the oppressor nation, Amhara, who believe in peace, human dignity and liberty should support the Oromo struggle for liberation.

Although the Oromo nation is one of the largest in Africa, it is forgotten by or still unknown to the majority of the world today. Unfortunately even the name Oromo is unknown to many, and this should not be allowed to continue.

While researching this entry, I came across this interesting 3-part series from NTV Kenya. In the videos, reporter Yassin Juma and Cameraman Eric Okoth spent several days and nights with the Oromo Liberation Front rebel fighters in Southern Ethiopia.

[Watch Part 1 On YouTube]

[Watch Part 2 On YouTube]

[Watch Part 3 On YouTube]

Also see:
+ http://www.oromoliberationfront.org
+ http://www.oromooliberationfront.org
+ http://www.oromoliberationfront.info

My Accidental Geography Submission “Gingerbread DC” Was Featured Today on StrangeMaps

Nikolas Schiller — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:12:43 +0000

A very long time ago I remember sharing the Gingerbread map that I saw on this DCist.com evening blog entry. It was originally photographed (and baked?) by Allison Acosta. Take a look at the rest of the “Found Maps” here.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a look at the Frank Jacobs new book Strange Maps when you are in the bookstore or library, its a fun read.

Related Found Maps:

[FOUND MAP] The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, The Younger (1533)

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:51:02 +0000

Upside down detail of the terrestrial globe in The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, The Younger

The Ambassadors (1533) is a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger in the National Gallery in London. I remember first learning about it in my AP Art History class in High School. I was drawn to both the intricate nature of the painting‘s near-photorealism and the anamorphic skull that obstructs the foreground. Today I was attempting to warp the skull to see it properly rendered and I realized that there was a nicely painted globe in the background. Well, actually, there is a lot more than just a globe in the background of this painting– there is also a beautiful celestial globe and numerous scientific instruments, but I will let you explore the painting on your own. Suffice it to say, this painting remains one of my favorites.

Randle Highlands VS Fort Dupont [Antique Overlay of an Anacostia Alternative Future]

Nikolas Schiller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:07:12 +0000

Image links to the KMZ file for Google Earth

The other day I was canvassing the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America newspaper collection and came across this advertisement that was published on May 27th, 1910 in the Washington Times. It shows development plans for Randle Highlands, a neighborhood in Southeast, Washington, DC. I was curious about the results of the newspaper ad. As in, how much has the map changed in the last 99 years? Surprisingly, not too much. Most of the land was developed to plan, except for one large chunk of the land that remains “undeveloped” to this day: Fort Dupont Park.

The National Park Service website says:

This particular fort had six sides, each 100 feet long, protected by a deep moat and trees felled side-by-side with branches pointing outward. It was named for Flag Officer Samuel F. du Pont, who commanded the naval victory at Port Royal, South Carolina, in November 1861.

Although its garrison and guns never saw battle, Fort Dupont served as a lifeline of freedom. Runaway slaves found safety here before moving on to join the growing community of “contrabands” in Washington. The barracks and guns are gone, but the fort’s earthworks can still be traced near the picnic area on Alabama Avenue.

In the 1930s, the National Capital Planning Commission acquired the old fort and surrounding land for recreation. An 18-hole golf course was constructed. As the city grew, golf gave way in 1970 to the sports complex along Ely Place that now includes tennis and basketball courts, athletic fields, and a softball diamond. An indoor ice rink offers skating all winter. Where once the Civil War fort looked out over farmlands, city dwellers now grow vegetables in community garden plots.

This advertisement was printed 20 years before the National Capital Planning Commission changed the future of this neighborhood. I wonder what it would be like today if it wasn’t a park? Umm, I mean golf course. I was able to line up the old map with the contemporary imagery and by adjusting the transparency in Google Earth you can see how much has been developed. Click here to download the KMZ file for Google Earth

Image links to Google Maps

Transcription below:

NATIONS GROW EASTWARD
GROW WESTWARD
Is Swinging Towards
HIGHLANDS
The Washington Times, May 27th, 1910

London, Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, all the other great Capitals of the nations of the world show a tremendous growth eastward.

Heretofore the pendulum of Washington improvements and appropriations has swung westward because all concerical cities grow westward. During the past two and present administrations the power of the executive head of the nation has been felt, and for the first time in the history of our country the entire nation bows to Washington. And the more this executive power is exercised, the greater benefits to be derived by the National Capital.

There are over eighty million people contributing to the growth of Washington and everything done to add to the national weath from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Canada to Mexico, must redound to the benefit and growth of Washington.

No section of the District is going to play a greater part in the Washington of tomorrow than RANDLE HIGHLANDS. The Capitol building is the logical future center of Washington and RANDLE HIGHLANDS is about the same distance from this point in one diection as fashionable Dupont Circle is in the other. The future valuation of RANDLE HIGHLANDS lots will compare favorable with the present valuation of Dupont Circle lots, when Washington leaps forward to a place among the great capitals of the world, which it is rapidly doing.

How fast Washington is growing can best be realized when look at the records for the past fiscal year. They show the number of private buildings erected during that time to be nine thousand nine hundred and five, at a total cost of $14,785,058. The next year should greatly surpass this number, and each succeeding year should add to the rapidity of this growth.

Monday, May 30th, there will be the biggest sale of Real Estate in the history of the District of Columbia, as this company owns and controls together about one-fortieth of all the land in the District of Columbia.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY

Most of the world’s fortunes, great and small, have been made by those who deal in necessities. Real estate is the greatest of all necessities, and the greatest fortunes, as well as most of the fortunes of lesser size, have been made through profitable real estate investment.

Bear in mind, these fortunes were not made in purchasing real estate in already thickly populated, prosperous sections. Such real estate has already reached a high valuation that does not permit of the tremendous profits possible as when the purchase price is small.

In short, fortune smiles on those who have enough foresight to buy property while the price is small and payments easy- those who can see things as they will be in two or three years.

A trip to Randle Highlands will convince you that it has a great future and is the place to invest your money.

Originally published on May 27th, 1910 in the Washington Times and obtained from the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America newspaper archive.

Related Google Earth Entries:

[FOUND MAP] The Masthead Map of the San Mateo Item Newspaper

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:55:29 +0000

Click image above to view in full resolution
Click here to view the entire page

As I mentioned previously, this week I’ve been exploring the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers archive. Last night I came up with the idea that I could create an entirely new blog dedicated to showing news from exactly 100 years ago. Dubbed “The Hundred Year Old News Blog,” each entry would be a newspaper article from exactly 100 years ago and to test the theory, I decided to see what today’s blog entry would have been. To my surprise, I found that the now-defunct newspaper called the San Mateo Item used a map of eastern Florida for it’s masthead.

According to the entry in Chronicling America:

The San Mateo Item began publishing in 1891. F.A. Bailey was one of its early editors. The paper periodically appeared under the title of the Item. It is unknown when the San Mateo Item finally ceased publication, but holdings are reported in the Putnam County Archives for 1913.

San Mateo is located in Putnam County in northeastern Florida. The area sustained various agricultural activities about which the San Mateo Item reported. San Mateo was also well known for its recreational opportunities, having more than a thousand ponds and lakes and approximately one hundred miles of access to the St. Johns River, especially attractive to bass fishermen. Sporting activities were of sufficient note to merit coverage by the British press. The Outing, a London sports magazine, complained in its 1891-92 issue that the Item had reprinted one of its articles without credit. The Outing asserted that its enterprise was dedicated in part to distributing “articles likely to attract the sportsman to Florida.” Apparently, San Mateo was worth watching.

Currently there is not a Wikipedia entry for San Mateo Item newspaper

What is interesting about the map is that its presented in a East to West configuration instead of the modern North to South configuration. Starting from the right side of the map going left, you trace Florida’s longest river, St. Johns River, north towards Jacksonville, and near the middle you have the newspaper’s namesake, San Mateo.

The map shows the following towns, lakes, and railroads (roughly South/Right to North/Left):

Sanford
Lake Monroe (Shown, but not listed)
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (Listed as A. C. L. R. R.)
Lake George
Crescent City
Crescent Lake (Now known as Lake Crescent)
Daytona (Renamed Daytona Beach in 1926 after the merger of the towns Seabreze and Daytona Beach)
Ormond (Renamed Ormond Beach in 1949)
Florida East Coast Railway
Welaka
San Mateo
Palatka
East Palatka
Hastings
Federal Point
St. Augustine (Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European established city, and the oldest port, in the continental United States)
Green Cove Springs
Pablo (Changed to Jacksonville Beach in 1925)
Atlantic Beach
Mayport
Jacksonville

Finding this unique map has given me some extra enthusiasm for finding more maps in old newspapers!

Related Found Maps:

Map of Teacher Starting Salary vs. Annual Amount Spent on Inmates

Nikolas Schiller — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:50:05 +0000

I found this map through a friend’s link on Facebook. It shows how each state pays it’s new teachers compared to the amount that each state spends on each inmate. I was quite surprised to see the variance in starting pay throughout the United States.

In summary:

Alabama is the only state to pay their new teachers $20,000 more than what is spent on each inmate
23 states pay their new teachers $10,000 – $19,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
6 states pay their new teachers $5,000 – $9,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
8 states pay their new teachers $2,000-$2,999 more than what is spent on each inmate
6 states pay their new teachers about the same that is spent on each inmate (+/- $1,999)
Massachusetts & Oregon spend $2,000-$2,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
Wisconsin spends $3,000-$3,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
Rhode Island spends $4,000-$4,999 more on each inmate than each new teacher
Maine & Minnesota spend $5,000 more on each inmate than each new teacher

Fortunately, more states (38) pay their new teachers more than inmates. But the larger issues comes to my mind. Do these inmates even belong in jail? Are they being incarcerated due to a non-violent crime? Conversely, do violent criminals need more attention and therefore more money needs to be spent on them? Should we, as a society, be paying our new teachers more money in order to prevent people from not receiving a complete education, resorting to crime, and ending up in jail? I will not attempt to answer these questions, but I will say that America has more people incarcerated than any other country in the world and I hope this changes.

*The District of Columbia is excluded from this map

Map Tattoo: The State of Maryland

Nikolas Schiller — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:15:12 +0000

I always try to take photographs of any maps I happen to come across. The other day I was at a friends house and noticed this tattoo of the State of Maryland. View the other two photos:

Related Found Map Entries:

Related Photography Entries:

[Found Maps] License Plate Maps of DC & Maryland at Artomatic 2009

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:15:42 +0000

On the last day of Artomatic 2009 I decided to traverse all 9 floors and come up with a Top 100 similar to the one I made last year. While I haven’t posted my Top 100 of Artomatic 2009 yet and frankly I am still debating on whether I’ll go through the task of coding it all, I did, however, find some maps by Ian Bird that I wasn’t expecting.

While there are already other people who make License Plate Maps, I like the nuanced detail of his maps (above). Unlike the other license plate map artists, I sincerely doubt they have made a map that cartographically shows each of the eight wards of Washington, DC as well as each county in the state of Maryland. No matter what, Ian Bird is definitely going into the Top 100 (if I ever post it).

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[FOUND MAP] Dear WMATA, is it called the Hirshhorn Gallery or Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden?

Nikolas Schiller — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:55:09 +0000

Earlier this month when I was returning home from Artomatic, I snapped this photograph in the Navy Yard Metro station. I found it interesting that the cartographers at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority decided to use Hirshhorn Gallery instead of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. I could tell the map was somewhat current, but how current is the usage of Gallery vs. Museum and Sculpture Garden? I did some google searches and my general conclusion is that its commonly & mistakenly called Hirshhorn Gallery, but does that mean WMATA should too?

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Note to the cartographers at the New York Times: the Red Line goes into Maryland

Nikolas Schiller — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:00:07 +0000

I know this a bit late, but I was looking over the coverage of the DC Metro train collision last month on the websites of the Washington Post (below) and the New York Times (above) and noticed one glaring error in the New York Times map. The Red Line does not start and end at the borders of the District of Columbia, rather it extends far into the state of Maryland. Maybe the New York Times can issue a cartographic correction?

I guess you could say this is a good example of when the local newspaper gets it right…

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[FOUND MAP] Isola d’Elba aka the Island of Elba

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:49:28 +0000

Click the map above to view the larger version

The other night I was over at my friend’s house in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC for her going away party and saw this map hanging on the wall.

Isola d’Elba aka the Island of Elba is an island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino. It is the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, located between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Ligurian Sea, and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia. This map shows the island with various cities, embellishments of fruit, flowers, & fish, important mountains on the island, and at the top of the map there is an iconic graphic of Napoleon Bonaparte riding a horse.

I first read about the Island of Elba when I was learning about French emperor Napoleon I in high school. Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Napoleon was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio (near the steamboat on the map) on May 3, 1814. He stayed on Elba for only 300 days and returned to France only to be exiled again to the far more distant Island of Saint Helena.

Below is a Library of Congress copy of a British engraving depicting Napoleon’s banishment to Elba in 1814:

It’s titled “The journey of a modern hero, to the island of Elba” and says at the bottom:

Farewell my brave soldiers, my eagles adieu;
Stung with my ambition, o’er the world ye flew:
But deeds of disaster so sad to rehearse
I have lived–fatal truth for to know the reverse.
From Moscow to Lipsic; the case it is clear
I was sent back to France with a flea in my ear.

A lesson to mortals regarding my fall:
He grasps at a shadow, by grasping at all.
My course it is finish’d my race it is run,
My career it is ended just where it begun.
The Empire of France no more it is mine.
Because I can’t keep it I freely resign.

Coming from the butt of the donkey is the text: “The greatest events in human life is turn’d to a puff.” Coming from the broken sword is the text: “A throne is only made of wood and cover’d with velvet.” Written on the saddle are two phrases: “The budget of Mathematical books for my study at ELBA.” & “Materials for the history of my life and exploits.”

Related Found Maps:

Unique Maps of Iraq in the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, DC

Nikolas Schiller — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:30:38 +0000

Back in May I attended the Passport DC Open House event. 30 embassies opened their doors to the public and I chose to check out the Embassy of Iraq. While inside I came across these two unique maps.

She’s got the sole of the city with SWIMS galoshes

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:51:56 +0000

Map of Paris featured on SWIMS City Slipper high heel

I read about these stylish galoshes a little while ago, and saw the map on sole of the shoe, but I couldn’t find a high resolution version that showed the actual map. Yesterday I found it. SWIMS, a Scandinavian company known for making stylish galoshes, incorporates lots of great details both for practical and aesthetic reasons such as:

â€¢ Extra traction for slippery surfaces.
â€¢ The sole of each CitySlipper has the map of either New York, Paris, or Tokyo.
â€¢ Pull on/off grip and the soft siliconpad on the sides makes it very convenient.
â€¢ Flexible design to fit almost any heel height and thickness due to flexible material and construction.
â€¢ Protection for the delicate leather/suede sole of your shoe and the tip of the shoe against the elements.
â€¢ Low-Cut style is for shoes with bows and buckles.

The maps themselves definitely fall into the realm of aesthetics not cartographics, but ya know, I am a big fan of those kind of maps.

Related Fashion Entries:

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A World Map Sign @ the A N M Market & Deli in the Atlas District

Nikolas Schiller — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:34:46 +0000

Last week I went to the Atlas District of Washington, DC to see my housemate’s band perform at the Rock & Roll Hotel. When I went outside to look for some food I stumbled up the A N M Market & Deli located at 1363 H Street NE, Washington, DC. It looks like they opened recently and have chosen to use a type of text coloring that I find unique– a world map.

The National Gruntledness Index

Nikolas Schiller — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:48:08 +0000

This map of the United States is Careerbuilder’s “definitive measure of career happiness.” While I think the map’s concept is cute, the means in which the colors are displayed make the map more comical than helpful. My screen grab above is a static picture but on the website the map is slightly animated which creates these bands of ‘gruntledness’ that are impossible (look at West Virginia’s colored band uniting with Ohio). Yet if you ignore this aspect, the point of the map becomes evident; it’s simply a promotional tool to bring people to Career Builder’s website. Maybe it’s time I start looking for a 9 to 5 job– it’s been about two years since I’ve been in an office.

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geographic dimensions of spam

Nikolas Schiller — Wed, 11 May 2005 15:00:10 +0000

The Postini Resource Center monitors spam and virus statistics around the world wide web. On their website they have some maps that show the geographic origins of viruses, spam, and directory harvest attacks. I found the location of where the highest concentrations of viral activity the most intriguing as well as where spam is being generated (above). I’m such a map nerd…