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cartographic perspectives 45 Number 43, Fall 2002 information relatively effortlessly without explanation (such as text and legends), so they can spend more of their limited time extracting essential information and examining spatial relationships. Maps designed in a cartographically realistic manner also have the potential to be more attractive, even beautiful, compared to their conven- tional counterparts. This is not a frivolous concern when trying to connect with audiences. In this media-driven age of short attention spans, it is important that we design maps that attract and hold a reader's attention. People purchase expensive cars based solely on color, vote for telegenic political candidates, and invest substantial sums in corporations that pub- lish slick annual reports. Are map users any less susceptible to the allure of attractive packaging? Finally, making realistic NPS maps is a personal interest. Today, for the first time cartographers have the tools and data available to push the limits of map design with relative ease. Using new technology and data to design better maps for park visitors is, for me, irresistible. Cartographically realistic map design is not by any means new to cartog- raphy. Among the most spectacular and enduring efforts in cartographic realism are those made by 20 th century artist/cartographers. Artist/cartographers In the 1950s Hal Shelton, an employee of the USGS and an accomplished fine artist, painted small-scale plan maps of the US to be used by air travelers for general orientation. Shelton's maps were unique in that they portrayed land cover—forest, agricultural land, and built-up areas—in combination with shaded relief to mimic what passengers would actual- ly see on the ground from an aircraft. On Shelton's maps land cover was portrayed more prominently than the terrain. Many of Shelton's original pieces, still under copyright protection, are housed at the US Library of Congress where they may be viewed by appointment only. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Eduard Imhof's painted map of Walensee, Switzerland is perhaps the most famous example of early cartographic realism ever produced (Figure 2). Imhof's piece is noteworthy for its artistic use of strong colors to model topography, which is combined with less dominant land cover. Deep reds are used at higher elevations to give mountain peaks visual loft, blue-gray haze suppresses the lowlands, and cast shadows thrown by steep mountains extend onto the aqua green surface of Walensee. Holding true to the Swiss cartographic preference, cliffs receive considerable textural detail while agricultural fields and forests are depicted with flat color. Drain- ages and light colored roads are slightly incised into the landscape, as a viewer would expect them to be when viewed from above. The Walensee map was painted experimentally to showcase the unrestrained application of art in the cartographic context. The result- ing masterpiece is on permanent display at the Swiss Alpine Museum in Berne. However, despite the accolades, Imhof was opposed to the idea that his Walensee map would serve as a model for general cartographic design. According to Imhof "What is achieved by such painting experiments? When successful, beautiful impressions, natural plan-view landscape pictures result— the pictures that please the hearts of many viewers. But the end result LOOKING BACK "People purchase expensive cars based solely on color, vote for telegenic political candidates, and invest substantial sums in corporations that publish slick annual reports. Are map users any less susceptible to the allure of attractive packaging?" "The Walensee map was painted experimentally to showcase the unrestrained application of art in the cartographic context."

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