HIstory of the Mapparium

http://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/exhibits/mapparium.jhtml

Construction on the Mapparium began in April 1934. By January 1935, the glass panels were being produced at a rate of about 50 per week. Churchill rushed to complete the entire project for June 1, 1935.

Once the panels were completed, they were fitted into the spherical bronze frame that holds the entire structure together. Finally, 300 light bulbs were installed to illuminate the globe from the outside. Total cost for the project was about $35,000. The result: An extraordinary piece of art and architecture that was then, and still is today, the only one of its kind.

An Old World. A New View.
Churchill called his new room the "Mapparium," using the Latin terms mappa, "map" and "arium, "a place for." It was an immediate and overwhelming success. Within the first four months, more than 50,000 people came to view this amazing structure.

While flat maps and globes offered the same information, people were astonished by such a new and engrossing view of the world. Nowhere else could people see the entire world in such a unique perspective, and visitors marveled at the fascinating relationships between bodies of water and land. Upon its opening, people immediately noted facts like:

* A vast portion of the world is covered by water
* New York City, Madrid, Naples, and Beijing all share the same latitude
* Most of the world's land masses are north of the equator
* There are two different islands named 'Cocos' at exactly opposite positions on the globe
* The Magnetic North Pole is quite far from the actual North Pole
* Hawaii (not yet a state in 1935) looks somewhat lonely in the Pacific

Another intriguing characteristic visitors noticed immediately was actually unintentional. Inside the Mapparium, you'll notice a very strange sound quality. The spherical shape and glass construction create an odd acoustical property that allows you to hear your own voice as if you were speaking into your own ears! Also, if two people stand at each end of the 30-foot bridge, they can whisper to each other and be heard as if they were standing side by side.


Today, the Mapparium is a snapshot of the world in another time. Nowhere else can you view the world in such a unique perspective, and see just how much the world has changed.