Friday Eye Candy: The Childhood Maps of 8 Professional Mapmakers

Choosing cartography as a career is a natural result of a lifelong love of maps. National Geographic gathers the proof.

1 minute read

February 24, 2017, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Kid with map

TravnikovStudio / Shutterstock

Betsy Mason writes:

So many of the cartographers I’ve gotten to know while writing about maps seem to genuinely love their jobs. It’s one of those professions with a disproportionate number of people who are really happy to be there. I suspect that one reason for this could be that many of them have loved maps since they were kids, and they’ve managed to turn that love into a career.

That strong nod or high-five inducing introduction sets the stage for a collection of childhood maps by eight professional cartographers. The professionals who shared their childhood maps include some familiar names, with familiar titles, working at familiar companies and government agencies. Mason concludes the post requesting that anyone else with a lifelong love of maps to send their own childhood masterpieces to @mapdragons on Twitter.

Thursday, February 23, 2017 in National Geographic

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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