Vintage Maps - A Journey Through the Past

child's sun dress, skirt and top, made from silk escape maps of China© IWM (EPH 2210)

Escape Map© IWM (EPH 9908)

On last week's episode of the Great British Sewing Bee I was fascinated by the silk map dress that they included in their Make Do and Mend history section. And judging by the flurry of mentions it got on twitter at the time, I'm not the only one that thought it was exquisite. If you didn't spot the dress, you can see it oniPlayer, at around 27mins. 

To the left is a similar example from the Imperial War Museum collection and an original Escape Map. These maps were made from first from silk and then rayon, materials which allowed them to be folded up very small, and thus be concealed more easily. The use of fabric over paper also had other advantages, such as its resilience to tearing and water damage, as well as its 'rustle free' nature. It is estimated that many thousands of British and Allied troops may have used these escape maps to evade capture and return home. More detail about the history of WW2  escape maps can be found here.

I have always found maps fascinating. Is it the aesthetically pleasing presentation of information that is so appealing, or perhaps the sense of journey and discovery that is embedded in them? 

One of the things I love to collect is souvenir textiles. I like the sense of adventure that they have associated with them and I daydream about the exotic trips that they were acquired on. One of my favourites is this 60s Souvenir Of Aden scarf. It is full of spelling mistakes and shown here upside down (whoops!) but I love the vibrancy of the colours. 

The interest in map clearly runs in the family. The very first item my Dad bought at auction were these Bartholomew's Maps from the 50s. They are enormous and weigh a ton, but they are wonderfully detailed. I love their tagline 'The Good Companion - For the Wise Traveller'. 

The most treasured map I own is roughly sketched on the back on an envelope. It was drawn from memory by my Grandpa, showing the route he travelled from where he was stationed in World War Two, to the beaches of Dunkirk where he was evacuated. I embroidered it onto a piece of textile art that I made about his life, which you can see below.

Do you share my fascination for maps? What is it about them that appeals to you?