Friday 20 August 2010

The Tasman Map


This card is special in a number of ways. First, it shows part of an ancient map, the Tasman Map. The original was compiled from Abel Tasman's two voyages and earlier voyages by Dutch navigators, and was drawn on very fine Japanese paper. It shows a surprisingly accurate outline of Australia.

Second, the map shown in the picture is a reproduction that consists of a marble mosaic on the floor of the State Library in New South Wales, in the Mitchell Wing vestibule. The construction of the started in 1939 and took two years to finish.

Third, and probably most important, is the message:
I knew you were the person I bought [this card] for way back in April!  .... In April 1998 my husband and I had a wedding reception in this venue, and we drank champagne standing on this very map.  So when I was back there just a few months ago, I was thrilled to see there is now a postcard of the map in the floor, and bought one and waited.  And now it's in your hands.
I feel very privileged to be the custodian for the present.  Now who is going to tell me that an unpostmarked, unwritten card is better than that?


This is a post for Postcard Friday, which is hosted by Beth Niquette at The Best Hearts are Crunchy.
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8 comments:

  1. What a great story... I love the 3rd reason this is a special card. How amazing that the connection has been made between the two of you... another wonderful PFF post. TFS!

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  2. Cool card!
    Tasmanian aborigines was exterminated like the Moa birds were...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trugernanner

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  3. That is so beautiful and sweet. thanks for sharing

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  4. I'm confused, too. Did the writer fill this card out and leave it for someone to find...

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  5. I obviously didn't explain properly - the card arrived through Postcrossing. I'm not going to change the post at this point, because I'm fighting a losing battle with blog posts losing their formatting when I edit them.

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  6. Not me! I like maps, especially old ones!

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Welcome to my postcard collection! I love hearing what you think of the cards - but spam WILL be deleted.

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