In April 2010, the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano sent an ash cloud across northern Europe, closing airspace and stranding millions of travelers. This map documents one person’s response: an overland drive from Uppsala to Utrecht, through Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, at a time when flying was not an option. The route south is […]
Courtney drew this map for her brother on the occasion of his first visit to Boston, guiding him from the C train to her apartment on St. Paul Street. Landmarks like the Holiday Inn, the Capitol building, and the helpful notes “ring bell here” and “you’re above ground!” give the map a warm, personal quality […]
Krista’s friend, Dimitris, drew this map for her when she was traveling through Greece. No one could remember the exact address of her friend’s mother’s place where she would be staying, so she used this map to find the house after arriving on the island.
This drawing hits on all of the best qualities of hand-drawn maps. It includes personal recommendations, can be used for navigation, and has a striking visual appearance. Justin drew it for his friends when they were visiting him in Venice, California. They wanted to spend some time checking out what made the neighborhood unique, so […]
This is a map worth keeping. Even though it’s not particularly practical for navigation, it’s a cool piece of ephemera with a fun story. A video store clerk drew it for Renee and her boyfriend when they stopped to ask for directions to a popular sushi restaurant. The clerk quickly drew a few lines on […]
As far as I can tell, this is the first map I collected. Drawn 10 years before I founded the Hand Drawn Map Association, it provides directions to three places in Chicago: the music venues Lounge Ax (now closed) and Empty Bottle, as well as the BFA graduation exhibition for the School of the Art […]
Suzanne drew these two maps of the riding trails at the farm where she kept her horse in the 1980s, near the Barber Reservation in Sherborn, Massachusetts. The black map charts the broader network of trails she drew for fellow boarders so they would know where they could ride, while the detailed green map was […]
Courtney sent us this map she drew in 2008 to help direct ushers to the new location of their office. She writes, “Who can ever find classroom numbers in old academic buildings? I thought a map could more easily convey where to find our new office. This building on Michigan State University’s campus is the […]
Dan writes, “this was a quick attempt at guiding an out-of-town musician friend (hence the staff paper) from Kenmore Square to the site of my wedding at Fenway Park in Boston last year. Note the landmarks at Unos, Beerworks, the banners on Yawkey Way, and gates D and B.”
Needing directions to an exhibition at ALAN Istanbul, Feride drew this minimal map after looking up how to get there on the internet.
This detailed and accurate hand-drawn map indicates the location of fruit trees and bushes in the Browne’s Addition neighborhood of Spokane, Washington. Though it was drawn over 11 years ago, the map could likely be used today to find the very same fruit trees Amaris identified. Go ahead and try Spokanians…(Spokanites?).
Uploaded to our now defunct fileshare as “Alan’s Map,” this unidentified map is drawn in red pen and includes a storage tank, time indicators, a route of some sort, and a large X marking the destination. If you happen to know any additional information about this map, please let us know.