SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2008 — David Rumsey took his historical map collection, one of the largest private map collections in the U.S., into virtual worlds today with the launch of the Rumsey Maps islands in Second Life.
Featuring unique ways to experience the antique maps – from a fly-through topographic scale model of 1882 Yosemite to immersive celestial spheres that provide an 18th-century experience of the heavens – the Rumsey Maps islands in Second Life offer a new perspective on how we interact with maps.
"Virtual worlds are the logical next step for my collection," said David Rumsey. "I've digitized over 17,000 maps at full resolution, which I am providing free for use on my site, and my maps have been featured as layers in both Google Earth and Google Sky. Using a virtual world allows me to create new ways of experiencing these maps in avatarized form and at unprecedented scale, for both learning and entertainment."
Maps featured prominently in the Rumsey Maps islands include:
— Yosemite, 1882. 64-acre topographic scale recreation of Yosemite Valley from an 1882 survey, allowing deep immersion and avatar fly-throughs.
— New York, 1836. Large model of Manhattan Island, with "cars" to drive around on the streets.
— World Map, 1787. Allows visitors to insert a virtual "pushpin" and say a few words about their hometown.
— Grand Canyon, 1882. A dimensional shadowbox of this panorama from Point Sublime.
— World Globe, 1790 and Celestial Globe, 1792. Allows visitors to immerse themselves in an 18th-century view of the world and heavens.
In addition, David Rumsey is providing a wide variety of virtual giveaways in the David Rumsey Welcome Center, including interactive, multi-zooming map viewers, as well as static maps, globes, and other cartography equipment.
About the David Rumsey Map Collection
The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection (http://www.davidrumsey.com), one of the largest private map collections in the United States, numbers more than 150,000 maps and includes rare 18th-and-19th-century North and South American atlases, charts, globes, wall maps and related items. The online collection currently numbers more than 17,000 high-resolution digital images, including a series of maps published in 1814 documenting Lewis and Clark's trek across America.
Photos:
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For more information contact:
Jason Stoddard
Centric / Agency of Change
Email
or
Anna Miller
The David Rumsey Map Collection
Email