We don’t think much today about the world-altering power that maps once held. You probably have a detailed cartographic guide of almost every point on the planet within arms’ reach right now, and in most places, the GPS on your phone can nail your location on that mape within a few feet. But throughout history, maps—accurate, error-filled, intentionally misleading—have had a profound impact. And even today how we draw the world continues to shape our understanding of it—and have real consequences. Here’s a selection from the Atlas Obscura archives of…
