Secret Maps

Following our successful visit to Medieval Women: In Their Own Voices, we returned to the British Library for the Secret Maps exhibition. This gave a good introduction to the power of maps in days gone by, e.g. the use by the Dutch East India Company to protect its early discovery of Australia whereas, in World War 2, basic maps for escapees were smuggled into prison camps hidden in board games and false names were used for locations in the D Day landings. The impact of maps on individuals was illustrated by a moving video of a group who were displaced following the partition of India. Absence of features on maps could be for security reasons, e.g. omission of the watch towers in Belfast during the troubles, but also political motives, such as the lack of reference to activity in the Kibera slum of Nairobi. Mapping this area has increased the representation of its marginalised communities.