London on a tote

In fact I don't really enjoy shopping much unless it is necessary to buy something as planned. 2 weeks ago, I wandered alone in a shopping mall, K11, which gathers many posh shops including few gadget and sundries, to kill time before dining with my high school chaps. My eyes were caught by this tote with (Great) London on it:

There is no official shop of this company, Maptote, in Hong Kong. But I love their design concept 'All the cities we went to had their own totes, so we purchased several and brought them back as souvenirs for our friends.' On each 'Locales' page, there are several sentences about the city, like London.

As they said 'we wanted a tote for our city', yes, I want my city have a nice and funny tote too. Why not I draw it by myself?

Since I have too many totes in different size, so I did not buy this. However if they will have a London bandana, zip pouch or other products, I would love to do online-shopping.

Besides of the tote, here're the others: http://www.maptote.com/shop/london-black-everyday-tote/

London though a hole

The first time I saw 'Peepshow' (or Peep show) toys was somewhere in England, probably at the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh (2004) or at Museum of London (2005), or at the Museum of London Docklands (2008). I might see some in Hong Kong when I was a child, but I cannot recall.

Okay, time to research. When I tried to find an appropriate object name (sorry, very museological term) of such toy, I used 'cardboard tunnel', 'tunnel view', 'cardboard, three-dimensional view, tunnel' etc. I had to dig out my old notebook in which I jotted down notes during hundred of museum visits as well as the museum guidebooks I purchased. Finally, here's an answer: on 3rd March 2008 at the Museum of London Docklands, and the keyword I wrote is 'Tunnel peepshow'. Glad that I have such a habit to write notes. But why I revisited London in March?!

What is Peepshow in General?

Well, I am not an expert and in fact know too less about Peepshow. Therefore, I only gathered and rewrote texts from different websites. References and links are as below.


Peepshow, or called raree show, its origin can be traced in the 15th and 16th centuries. At the first beginning, peepshow was originally the preserve of the educated, scientists and artists. But by the 18th century, it had become a feature of popular street entertainment. Popular themes included foreign countries, historical events and nature. From the early 19th century, small peepshows were very popular as souvenirs since they could be folded and portable. This kind of entertainment did not only developed in Europe but also popular in China and Japan.

Peepshow is usually a simple wooden box with a biconvex lens and a set of architectural and topographical engravings in order to create an artificial illusion of depth. There were 2 types of peepshow boxes: Horizontal one used a lens and distance to create a 3-d affect; Vertical boxes were called boite d'Optiques and used a combination of viewing lens in front and mirror placed at a 45 degree angle. The viewer looked through the lens while the mirror redirected his/her line of sight to the view below.

Some mysterious and magical peepshow were strongly depended on the itinerant showmen's story telling abilities. They would at times create movement by manipulating the images within by using strings and hooks. Those showmen traveled the towns and fairs attracting people by their voices, musical instruments and sometimes an accompanist. They hawed their wares in competition with other street entertainers, like dancing bears, learned pigs, jugglers, balancing acts, conjurers, pantomimes, and puppeteers, in most of the large European cities. 

This kind of entertainment was known by different names in different countries: in Holland is Rarekiek, in Germany is Guckkasten, in Italy is Mondo Nuovo, in China is '拉大片' (Romanization 'Lai Tai Pin' or Mandarin Pinyin 'La Da Pian'), in France is Boite d' optique, and in the US and England is Peepshow.


The peepshow toy I like is a small tunnel-liked cardboard tube equipped with several layers of architectural and topographical prints which shows the landscape or architectural features of London. Like the following show the views of the landmarks of London (sorted by the year of manufacture):

The Thames Tunnel, London, 1825, from Museum of London

A View of tunnel under the Thames, London, 1827, from Museum of London

 'A Perspective of the Thames Tunnel', Germany, c.1850, from Museum Victoria

'The Thames Tunnel' peepshow, unknown place, c.1851, from Science Museum London

Lane’s Telescopic View of the Interior of the Exhibition, 1851, London, from The University of Southern California Libraries’ Special Collections

Spooner's view of the Great Exhibition, London, 1851, from Museum of London


Reference:
The Richard Balzer Collection
Interesting collection of Peepshow and history about this craft
Peepshows in V&A Museum of Children, London
Something out of London but quite amazing: Peepshow in China (in Simplified Chinese)

Maps on Stamps (GB, 1991)

Title: Bicentenary of Ordnance Survey. Maps of Hamstreet, Kent

Date: 17th September 1991

Material: Phosphorised paper

Stanley Gibbons catalogue numbers: 1578-1581

from left to right: Map of 1816, Map of 1906, Map of 1959 & Map of 1991


When I tidied up my bedroom and found out an album for GB stamps. What a surprise! I found that there are few stamps about the Ordnance Survey.


http://www.david-archer-maps.co.uk/content/ordnance-survey-postcards

Muji playing cards - London

Muji London map playing cards
Year: 2010
Price: HK$78

Muji has sold the London map playing cards since late 2010 and I have purchased this in February 2011 since. The Hong Kong Muji does not sell the other sets ut the muji.us sells Paris, Tokyo and New York.

The face of each card carries marking and a section of London map. If you arrange the cards in order: Spade, Heart, Diamond and Club from A to K, you will see the map of Central London. It will be nice if the back should have been printed a whole Central London map rather than being empty without any design.


http://www.muji.us/store/holiday-gift-selections/london-map-playing-cards.html

(East to Design Museum; West to Kensington Palace; North to St. Pancras; South to Westminster)

Where to buy: www.muji.us or your local Muji store



Close-up of the map:

A la carte maps by Laura Neilson

Design: Laura Neilson Year: 2009

Information copied from Cool Hunting:

For globe-trotters looking to creatively plot out a future destination, A La Carte's hand-drawn maps buck the trend of the technology-driven applications in favor of a unique analog map that doubles as a crafty souvenir or an artful gift for an impending traveler.

Each beautifully-designed folding map comes with a welcome letter offering important information about the destination. It includes details like where to exchange money, how to get around, what to do on a rainy day, which gifts to bring home, crucial phone numbers and, along with a few insider tips such as where to discover free swing dancing at an old mansion in Washington D.C. or where to find a distinctly charming Japanese beer garden in Tokyo.

In addition to the hand-held map, users gain access to an online database for each city, which provides updated recommendations from residents in the know. You can even create your own personalized itinerary or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can purchase and customize your own map with destinations and tips suited for a particular type of trip.

 

Founded by two Swiss travelers, A La Carte Maps cater specifically to the flashpacker—the "backpacker who loves to journey in style." With a strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility, as well as positive-impact travel, 10% of every city map's profit will go into a social project in that city.

Currently, guides are available for Washington DC, Barcelona, Munich, Zurich, Shanghai, Tokyo, with New York, Paris, London and Vienna guides in the works for early December 2009.

http://www.alacartemaps.com/

Crumpled city maps by Emanuele Pizzolorusso

Design: Emanuele Pizzolorusso
Year: 2010

I first know these cartographic products from the Facebook's page, Cool Hunting, and a local travel magazine. Therefore I went to a local shop to find but they were out of stock (well, I didn't think they are so popular as Hong Kong people seem not really interested in map collecting, I just think the shop had few stock only).

Information copied from Palomar's website:

Unlike traditional paper maps which can be awkward to deal with, the Crumpled City™ Map can be easily crammed into your pocket, backpack or the carrying pouch provided. without having to worry about refolding it along the original creases. Moreover, the maps are printed on special technological material that makes them the lightest and most resistant maps on market, as well as 100% waterproof.

The collection includes some of the most interesting cities on the globe. Each map provides details about a large part of the city, including streets, monuments, museums, art galleries and much more.

Crumpled City maps include a sightseeing index and a list of unique "Soulsights".

23 cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Florence, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, London, Milan, New York, New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown), Oslo, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Venice

It just takes 2 seconds to open and close this innovative soft map

The map includes all the most important informations about the city as well as a list of ten "Soulsights"

Weighing only 21 grams, it is super resistant and 100% waterproof

Carrying pouch provided

http://www.pizzolorusso.com/index.php?/project/crumpled-city/

New interesting terminology - Cartefacts

It was so glad to bring along a new Jonathan Potter's catalogue as I had no book or decent magazine with me during the short 'business' trip in Taipei. Good to kill time and gain knowledge of the map market.

On the front page of the catalogue, Mr. Potter states "What is a 'cartefact'?"

"To us, it is any object with a map, chart or plan applied, which serves a purpose other than just providing spatial information. Traditional such items have fallen within the general category of cartographic curiosities, however, we believe that the items here deserve their own distinctive genus. Dotted throughout his catalogue, you will find ceramics and haberdashery equipment, 'kerchiefs' and commemorative memorabilla, advertising promotions and more - all with maps as decoration or for additional practical use. The map may be printed directly on the object or onto paper which is then attached but used to augment that artefact.

Since the beginning of cartographic history maps have been used as wall decoration and in books. However, their use for amusement or education, beginning around the mid-eighteenth century, broadened their appeal and made maps, in one form or another commonplace in many areas of the home or workplace. Now, some 250 years later, maps enjoy a previously unheralded prominence in everyday life - whether being worn or carried (Paul Smith fashion being one example), studied as art (Jasper Johns, Grayson Perry and many more), as tourist souvenirs or fashionable crockery. Maps are also used in political caricature and advertising, and have had books and television programmes devoted to them. Today's 'cartefacts' may be the collectors' items of the future, even if satellite navigation on a telephone does away with A-Z!"

Just made a Google search and found the word 'cartefact' is about car but nothing about cartography. But it will be great if there is a professional term for 'cartographic curiosities'. 'Curiosities' this word seems to be a bit derogatory and old-fashioned.

Muji City Map series (handkerchief)

Muji has sold these Map Handkerchiefs in late 2010. I have just purchased the 'World Map' and 'Tokyo' in February 2011 since the local Muji does not sell the other pattens. Perhaps I need help from my friends in the States.

Printed map handkerchief of Tokyo: http://www.muji.us/store/map-handkerchief-tokyo.html

http://www.muji.us/store/world-map-scarf-handkerchief.html

Where to buy: www.muji.us or your local Muji store