Maps in Art and Literature
In addition to being practical navigation tools, maps can also be used as artistic devices. This section highlights such artistic use whether to bring to life imaginary worlds in literature or creatively depict maps of the real world.
San Francisco Oz by the Bay
This bird’s-eye view illustration of the city of San Francisco highlights gay businesses and local sites. The map carefully depicts and labels bars, cafes, restaurants, bookstores, hotels, and other locales in the Castro, Mission, South of Market, Civic Center, Polk Street, and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods.
The marvelous land of Oz
This map is a later cartographic representation of the magical country first described in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). It first appeared in Baum’s Fairylogue and Radio-Play (1908) traveling show and depicts the four regions of Oz along with its capital, Emerald City, in the center. Also shown are the famous yellow brick roads.