Daily Times

An exhibition of maps opened at the British Library on Saturday, exploring how maps became increasingly present in the 20th century.

The exhibition “Maps & the 20th Century – Drawing the Line,” looks at the advances in the technology of mapping across the century, from the land surveys of 1900 to the development of satellite imagery by 2000.

“Maps always reflect the motivations of their creators, and we will be looking at how maps were used not only as sources of information, but as tools of power and influence,” exhibition’s lead curator Tom Harper said.

According to the library, the exhibition highlights include: 3D relief models of the Western Front from 1917, a dress made out of World War II escape maps printed on silk, a Russian moon globe produced in 1961 and a map of the Atlantic Ocean Floor by Heinrich Berann, from June 1968.

The exhibition is accompanied by a season of events exploring how maps continue to shape and influence the world we live in.

The British Library has one of the largest collections of maps, plans and topographical views in the world, numbering some 4.5 million, with a chronological spread of over 2,000 years.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and the largest library in the world by number of items catalogued.