What's Your Map?

In this episode, Jerry meets master navigator, sailing expert and award-winning author David Barrie. Together, they discuss a British Admiralty chart of the North Atlantic Ocean that tracks David’s incredible 1973 Transatlantic voyage aboard a 35-foot yacht named Sæcwen, from Halifax in Nova Scotia east across the Ocean to Falmouth in Cornwall, UKWe learn about David’s fascination with celestial navigation and the remarkable optical instrument called a sextant that he and his crew mates used during the 24-day adventure to find their positions at sea. A sextant is an extraordinary optical instrument that identifies the angle between the horizon and a celestial body - such as the Sun, the Moon or a star - to assist in the determining of latitude and longitude at sea. During the episode, we also hear about David's transition from the field of experimental psychology to his exploration of animal behaviour and wayfinding, and a glimpse into the world of supernavigators. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and personal stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - what’s YOUR map?The award-winning What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique cartography.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen, and find more information and rabbit-holes about each guest. Image courtesy of David Barrie.All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.

In this episode, Jerry takes another excursion to meet with Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and English visual artist, Hannah Claus. Hannah is in London exhibiting at the High Commission of Canada in the U.K. as part of their commitment to show work by Indigenous Canadian artists. Her body of work titled tsi iotnekahtentiónhatie - éntie nonkwá:ti [where the waters flow - south shore] tells the story of the Kahrhionhwa’kó:wa [the Great River, or Saint Lawrence River]. Her artwork éntie nokwá:ti ne Kaniatarowánen [water song - south shore] features as her chosen map for this episode: it is an installation that visualises a sound wave of a water song composed by Ionhiarò:roks McComber.During this intimate tour of Hannah’s artworks, she tells Jerry about First Nations cosmologies and the importance of having a relationship to the land and bodies of water upon which one resides. Together, they delve into the concept of what constitutes a map, and how artists convey the narratives and collective histories of specific places through their work. From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us in this award winning podcast (Gold in Education at the British Podcast Awards 2025) as Jerry Brotton invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases.For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.Image © Hannah Claus/The Sunderland Collection All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.

From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton, as in each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?And to find out more about the British Library talk with Jerry, Nicholas Crane and Dwayne Fields on October 25th, go to: https://events.bl.uk/events/online-secret-mapping-mapping-secrecy What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.

Jerry interviews Melbourne based artist-cartographer Anton Thomas, who discusses his latest project: a meticulously hand-drawn world map titled "Wild World." Wild World centres the animal kingdom, showcasing over 1,600 animals across a world without national borders.This intricate artwork emerged from Anton’s deep-rooted passion for mapping, which reaches back to his childhood. It also reflects his belief in the profound connection between humans and nature. Anton walks Jerry through the artistic and cartographic choices he made whilst drawing Wild World, a process that took several years to complete. We hear about how Anton wanted to shape the viewer’s experience, turning the map into a celebration of biodiversity while instilling a sense of optimism amid today’s environmental concerns.From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map? What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.Image © Anton Thomas All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.

Neuroscientist and Harvard Professor Jeff Lichtman walks Jerry through his astonishing work mapping the human brain. In 2024, with the help of Google Research, Jeff’s team developed the most detailed map of a human brain sample ever created, producing 1,400 TB of data from a sample the size of a pinhead. Jeff also talks about how he and Harvard biologist Dr Joshua Sanes pioneered the Brainbow process, a breakthrough that allows scientists to easily identify individual neurons in the brain by colour.He goes on to explain how our experiences allow us to build neural maps, or wiring diagrams, onto our brains. These maps encode our memories and learned experiences, so that we can act without thinking, like riding a bicycle.-From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map? What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.Image © Google Research & Lichtman Lab / Harvard UniversityAll views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.

Welcome to What’s Your Map? In this episode, Jerry speaks to Elizabeth Hogan, a marine biologist, Programme Director at the National Geographic Society, and a passionate advocate for marine conservation. Having spent over 15 years dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems, Elizabeth shares her experience while discussing a unique map that reorients our understanding of the world's geography.. She explains how this ocean-centric map from the Environmental Systems Research Institute illustrates the reality of our planet's interconnected bodies of water: that we have one global ocean rather than distinct, isolated seas. Elizabeth also reveals the significance of ocean currents, which are prominent on the map. She explains how they link distant regions, affecting everything from the migration patterns of marine species to the transportation of plastic waste, and the lives of coastal communities. To see a high-definition image of the map as it is discussed, go to: www.oculi-mundi.com/podcast From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it.So if you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map? What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.It's a Whistledown production, produced by Emily Uchida Finch. Image © 2025 Esri and its data contributors. All rights reserved.All views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.

Every society has myths and legends that are passed down through the generations, some of which can be read in features of the landscape. In this episode, Professor Margo Neale guides Jerry around the story of the Seven Sisters: a songline from Australia. She delves into the intricate symbolism of her map, revealing that it charts not just physical spaces, but also spiritual and ancestral connections within Australian Indigenous culture.Margo Neale recently retired as the Head of the National Museum of Australia's Indigenous Knowledges Curatorial Centre, and an Adjunct Professor of the Australian National University's Centre for Indigenous History.She and Jerry discuss Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters), a painting created by the Indigenous Australian artists Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Maringka Tunkin, Freda Brady and Sandra Ken. These artists are part of Tjala Arts, a studio based in Amata, South Australia. Seven Sisters is a dynamic representation of the journey of the Seven Sisters, mythical figures pursued by a lustful sorcerer. Each symbol and colour represents different facets of their journey, teaching us about kinship, gender relations, survival, and cultural values—a narrative deeply embedded in the landscape.To see a high-definition image of the map as it is discussed, go to: www.oculi-mundi.com/podcast -From historians, scientists and writers to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries.Join award-winning expert Professor Jerry Brotton as each episode he invites a guest to share a map close to their heart - and unfurl the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind it. If you’re fascinated by history, art, adventure and culture, why not become part of a global community of fellow explorers as we ask - What’s your map?What’s Your Map? is brought to you by Oculi Mundi (‘eyes of the world’), the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases. For a fully immersive experience, visit Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast to explore each of the maps as you listen.Image Credit: "Kungkarangkalpa – Seven Sisters". Tjala Arts (2015) by Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Maringka Tunkin, Freda Brady and Sandra Ken. © The artists. Licensed by Viscopy 2025, Photo: National Museum Australia. Source: theconversation.comAll views and opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are entirely their own and do not represent those of The Sunderland Collection or Whistledown Productions.