3: The Heart of Maps: Plotting Power with Peter Barber

What's Your Map?

In this episode we are joined by Peter Barber, the former head of the British Library's map rooms, which hold more than 4.5 million maps! Peter is one of the world's foremost experts on European cartography. He has curated numerous exhibitions, and has written extensively on the history of maps.
Exploring a heart-shaped world map created in 1544 by Gemma Frisius, Jerry and Peter unveil the hidden messages from the map maker, who lived at a time of huge upheaval and war. They also revisit Peter's personal history with the fascinating world of maps.
To view the map while listening to this episode, please visit www.oculi-mundi.com/podcast.
What's Your Map? is an Oculi Mundi Exploration. Oculi Mundi is the online home of The Sunderland Collection of antique maps and atlases.
In this series, we speak to people who live, love and work with maps - making, preserving, interpreting, and being inspired by them. In each episode, we ask our guests to unfold a map that is special to them and to tell us the story that lies behind it.
Jerry Brotton is a British historian with a specialist interest in maps. He is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and is a regular on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.
What’s Your Map? is a Whistledown Production and is produced by Emily Uchida Finch
Instagram: @oculimundimaps
Website: https://oculi-mundi.com/