In reviewing historical atlases, the maps and diagrams in Geoffrey J. Matthews’ Historical Atlas of Canada stands out in my mind as particularly effective in conveying additional knowledge, context and meaning by effectively blending maps, diagrams and text. The most useful layouts play to the strength of maps, conveying information that changed over time or providing a sense of spatial context. While some maps are able to speak for themselves, the most beneficial layouts include passages that explain parts of the map, or the significance of the map, or at least the origins of the map. The pages that seemed most effective were also the pages that did not limit themselves to a grid or a conventional layout. I find my own personal taste extends to the original or alternative layouts that include bleeds off the page and unusual orientations of maps, illustrations and diagrams. While I am sure that it is a matter of taste, the most effective layouts reflect a sense of style and confidence
I found the passage on Cultural Sequences in the Historical Atlas of Canada quite valuable in understanding the spread of early peoples through northern North America. Effectively writing about the migration of populations as evidenced in arrowheads and pottery shards requires a keen sense of narrative and imaginative use of prose that escapes most historians. Seeing illustrations of the pottery and arrowheads superimposed on maps that visually convey the distances and spread of each group and sub-group was a much more beneficial method of reporting on the results of the migrations. In the same vein, the use of the same map as a base for many different diagrams served to tie the information together and transmit a concrete sense of context. Maps are used to call attention to changes in time and space, as in the Rumsey maps comparing the filling in of the Back Bay of Boston. This passage in the Cartographica Extraordinare clearly shows how Bostonians claimed more land for themselves over time. The map also makes it clear how the Muddy River played an important role in the challenges of reclaiming of Back Bay.
Hornsby’s Historical Atlas of Maine makes extensive use of other visuals superimposed on maps to convey information. Statistical data can be dry and difficult to place in context, but Hornsby helpfully supplies maps to show the geographic distribution of Canadians in Maine; but not just Canadians, but the differences between French Canadians and English Canadians as well. This combination of charts, diagrams, illustrations and maps gives the presentation greater strength than the single components could do individually.
As for the mechanics of the effective layouts, several rules of thumb or guidelines seem to present themselves. Captions should be set apart with smaller font sizes. The font face, color and typesetting serve to tie the separate parts of the layout together. The word count for each topic tends to be low, in the 500-750 word range, presumably because the visuals support the text and provide more insight than words alone. A limited number of visuals and maps prevent the layout from being too crowded, thus detracting from the informational value, and six seems to be the upper limit for color graphics. Allowing your visuals to bleed off the page provides more functional space for the critical elements without reducing the context provided by the maps or diagrams — cropping an image to fit within the galleries of a page could remove important contextual information. The most effective layouts used a grid system only when it served a purpose.
A focus on maps and other visuals brings a different and broader perspective on history than is conveyed by words alone. A map of the area discussed provides direct clues as to the decisions made by key players in the historical narrative. Illustrations showing the differences in arrowheads can immediately convey the evolution of technology. Graphs combined with maps point out the importance of trends to a geographical area without explicitly explaining them. Maps and visuals provide a rich medium for communicating key information and concepts that support the themes an historian is advancing in the narrative.
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