MapCarte 112/365: Atlas of Oregon 2ed by William G. Loy, Stuart Allan, Aileen Buckley and Jim Meachem 2001

MapCarte112_oregon_coverDescribed as a ‘tour-de-force in cartography and design’ by Allen Carroll, former Chief Cartographer at National Geographic Society and one of Edward Tufte’s favourite atlases for its clear design, this atlas provides a detailed exposition of the physical and human geography of Oregon in the United States. It contains 320 pages each beautifully depicting a wide range of fascinating information across some 700 maps and accompanying graphs and commentary.

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The atlas contains rich information graphics and, in particular, the thematics are well produced with a strong figure-ground relationship that allows the detail to literally jump off the page. The statistical map pages are detailed and clear. The colours throughout show a clear lineage to co-author Stuart Allan’s Raven Maps.

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The atlas has rightly won a number of awards and plaudits for it’s state-of-the-art design and production. A richer set of maps that demonstrate the very clearest cartography you’ll struggle to find. An atlas should present a place in detail but making an atlas a work of art brings another dimension to the work and encourages people to explore and keep coming back for more.