World Map, 1676 via The New York Public Library

“Map of Japan seen in ‘A Literary and Historical Atlas of Asia’ by J. G. Bartholomew. J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd. printed in 1912” (via World War II Database)

World Map c. 1637 (via NYPL Digital Gallery)

Map of Europe, c. 1872.  Click for Source.

Prussia, c. 1853.  Click for Source.

Carte des Isles Britaniques, c. 1760.  Click for Source.

Double Hemisphere Map by Henricus Hondius, c. 1630.  Changhua Coast Conservation Action

Vampire Europe by Alt-Reality@dA

Description: Vampires have always been a passing interest for me; so as I was reading godawful vampire fiction the other day, a thought came to me …

‘What if vampires were real, yet not supernatural?’

This led me to think of them as an ethnic group, which led to this map. The Upir are an ethnic-linguistic group in Eastern Europe, who were formed by a mass genetic mutation. Generally they tend to have slightly lighter skin than their other brethren, which is the main factor of the mutation. The other is that they have slightly longer canine teeth, though this is not always noticeable.

By the time this map takes place, they are all throughout Europe, though they’ve been treated as second-class citizens in Europe for centuries

Click for dA Profile

Germany, 1938 by Alt_Reality@dA

A Quilted Continent by Alt_Reality

This artists really makes the most glorious maps of alternative histories- the ‘what if’s’.

The Great War Won by Alt_Reality@dA

Artist Comments: They were so close.

This takes a look at a possible outcome to a Central Powers victory in World War One. Southern Belgium, Luxembourg, and bits of France has been absorbed, while a demilitarized zone is in place. The German and Russian Empires struggle in the Balkans after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.

I’ve always had a thing for cartography. Whether the maps are real, fake, old or current, they’ve always proven to be enjoyable. Pre-WWI maps are particularly neat, looking at all the empires that broke apart and/or fell around 1918 such as the Austria-Hungarian and Russian Empires, the Ottoman Empire falling soon after in 1923.

1898 Map Adaptation [Years of Steam] by AltReality on dA