![Map a-day-in May (a thirty-one cabinet display)
Escape and Evasion Maps
Evasion charts or escape maps are maps made for servicemembers, and intended to be used when caught behind enemy lines to assist in performing escape and evasion. Such documents were secreted to prisoners of war by various means to aid in escape attempts.
During World War II, these clandestine maps were used by many American, British, and allied servicemen to escape from behind enemy lines. Special material was used for this purpose, due to the need for a material that would be hardier than paper, and would not tear or dissolve in water. From Wikipedia.
These maps are examples of what are commonly referred to as ‘silk’ escape maps. In reality, they were just as likely to be printed on man-made fabrics such as rayon or even tissue paper. These materials were chosen for their ability to be folded into very small sizes for concealment. All aircrew were supplied with such maps in case they were shot down. Many were smuggled into Prisoner of War (POW) camps, through often ingenious methods, in order to aid Allied prisoners in their escape attempts. From McMaster University Libraries.
-- Bond, Barbara A. B. (2015). Great escapes : the story of MI9’s Second World War escape and evasion maps. Times Books. [Book]
-- DeLong, Mary E. (2013). Trailblazing and Pioneering Mapmakers: A Case Study of Women Cartographers and Geographers during World War II. A Thesis in the Field of History for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University. (Thesis)
-- Tyner, J. A., & Tyner, J. A. (2025). Women, Military Mapping, and American Cartography During the Second World War. Geohumanities. [Article]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q66r3vy7xepmx62ti4vt7uzb/bafkreidxt6ivw56t7migjnf36fgw2r2jguamvqofhdg4nh7hmjqizajwgi)
Map a-day-in May (a thirty-one cabinet display) Escape and Evasion Maps Evasion charts or escape maps are maps made for servicemembers, and intended to be used when caught behind enemy lines to assist in performing escape and evasion. Such documents were secreted to prisoners of war by various means to aid in escape attempts. During World War II, these clandestine maps were used by many American, British, and allied servicemen to escape from behind enemy lines. Special material was used for this purpose, due to the need for a material that would be hardier than paper, and would not tear or dissolve in water. From Wikipedia. These maps are examples of what are commonly referred to as ‘silk’ escape maps. In reality, they were just as likely to be printed on man-made fabrics such as rayon or even tissue paper. These materials were chosen for their ability to be folded into very small sizes for concealment. All aircrew were supplied with such maps in case they were shot down. Many were smuggled into Prisoner of War (POW) camps, through often ingenious methods, in order to aid Allied prisoners in their escape attempts. From McMaster University Libraries. -- Bond, Barbara A. B. (2015). Great escapes : the story of MI9’s Second World War escape and evasion maps. Times Books. [Book] -- DeLong, Mary E. (2013). Trailblazing and Pioneering Mapmakers: A Case Study of Women Cartographers and Geographers during World War II. A Thesis in the Field of History for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University. (Thesis) -- Tyner, J. A., & Tyner, J. A. (2025). Women, Military Mapping, and American Cartography During the Second World War. Geohumanities. [Article]
Map a-day-in May (a thirty-one cabinet display) Tactile Braille Mapping Tactile braille maps are detailed maps produced using a braille embosser to tactually represent topographies along with braille labels to identify key features. The embosser can produce varying textures that can be employed to convey information about the location being depicted. Every element — streets, buildings, parks, bodies of water — is thoughtfully rendered with varied textures, allowing you to trace routes and identify landmarks with your fingertips. The best tactile maps are true works of craftsmanship, requiring skilled hands to accurately translate visual maps into a tactile code. When done with precision, these maps become more than flat representations — they are explorable worlds that can be “seen” and understood through the sensitivity of the fingertips. From GetBraille. U.S. Dept. of the Interior and Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center. (1976). Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Braille map on top of topographic map base in colour. Design and production directed by Dr. John C. Sherman. 4 sheets produced on plastic. [Map] Siekierska, Eva. & McCurdy, (2008). Internet-Based Mapping for the Blind and People with Visual Impairment. In: Peterson, M. P (ed.). Internet mappingInternational perspectives on maps and the Internet. . Springer. [Chapter] Cole, H. (2021). Thematic Tactile Cartography: Evaluating Tactile Mapping Techniques for Novel Applications. Abstracts of the ICA, 3, 1–2. [Article] Almeida, M. D., Martins, L. B., & Lima, F. J. (2015). Analysis of Wayfinding Strategies of Blind People Using Tactile Maps. Procedia Manufacturing, 3, 6020-6027–6027.
Map a-day-in May (a thirty-one cabinet display)
Tactile Braille Mapping & Escape and Evasion Maps
#Cartography #Mapping #EscapeMaps #EvasionMaps
#TactileMaps More info #cartobibliography tinyurl.com/y5cv3vuz #MapDayMay25 William C. Wonders Map Collection #WCWMC More info in the alt text.