Shakespeare’s Britain

The Land of the Immortal Bard.

Using John Speed’s 1611 map of Great Britain and Ireland as the primary resource, the cartographic team at the National Geographic Society issued this map of Britain reflecting the world of it’s most famous literary figure, William Shakespeare. Decorative elements like sea monsters, cartouches, and a compass rose reflect classical cartography, while place names and labels indicate the locations that played important roles in Shakespearean works.

A view of London in the upper left shows the city before it was devastated by the Great Fire, while an inset map immediately below shows the streets of Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford upon Avon. The verso shows a more modern transportation map of Great Britain, but is surrounded by a series of vignettes that highlight ‘the pageant of a storied realm.’

Drawn by Lisa Biganzoli and published in 1964 by the National Geographic Society.