This image wins the "Old School" Geo-Pic Image posting - as before 'pics', we drew our views of the world with 'sticks' (pencils, canoe navigational stick sculptures, lines in the sand, etc.) As most, this comes from NASA's Earth Observatory site.
Also, it emphasizes the long standing relationship of maps to commerce; i.e. right or wrong - we most often explore for gains.
Cut & Paste Description:
" Before the late eighteenth century, residents of England didn’t necessarily take much interest in the rocks under their feet. The arrival of the Industrial Revolution, however, drew the attention of the country’s entrepreneurs downward. England’s industrialists began plunging deep underground for coal—the fossilized remains of ancient swamps—and carving canals across the countryside to transport it efficiently. In this environment, a geologist named William Smith managed to marry his knowledge of rock layers with his love of fossils.... "
" The eventual outcome of Smith’s research was A Geological Map of England and Wales and Part of Scotland, first published in 1815. On a scale of 5 miles per inch, the map measured 6 feet by 8 feet 6 inches. It was not the world’s first geologic map, but it was the first to map such a large area in such detail.... "
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