Dissected Maps
What is a Dissected Map?
A dissected map was an educational tool that rose to prominence in England throughout the eighteenth century. As stated earlier, they were used to educate children on geography. People during this period were beginning to experiment with introducing fun activities into education to make children more engaged. Because they could afford to educate their children, people of the middle and upper class were the main consumers of these educational tools. Dissected maps came in two different varieties: with and without the sea. The ones without the sea were cheaper than the ones with the sea, making them slightly more accessible to the public. Because the maps without the sea were more accessible, not many of the with-sea maps remain. Pictured left is an example of a map with the sea.
Dissected maps were typically created in one of two ways: the first being engraving a thin slab of wood and cutting it into pieces, or by pasting a map onto a thin slab of wood and cutting it up from there. Pictured right is an example of a dissected map without the sea that is a map attached to wood. The other puzzle pictured is an example of a dissected map that is just wood. The maps that were made out of an actual map, rather than just wood, tended to be clearer and easier to see. The puzzle made completely out of wood has etchings, but they are difficult to read. Because of this, the method of pasting a pre-existing map onto wood, and then cutting it, was the favored method of dissected map manufacturing. Below are different examples of what these maps could have looked like.
The Impact of Colonialism
When looking at these maps, it is important to note that these maps were being made at a time where English colonization was rampant. Because of this, colonialism had an impact on the maps of the time. It was popular to buy dissected maps that represented British-ruled territories. Geography became a necessary point of education, and many maps were adjusted to reflect British influence, such as the changing of names.
