I dont really understand this at all.
What when is this golden age, and why would a new forum be better than to build upon this fine community here?
I have tried to find a particular map, or maps in a similar style to immitate, from 1819, by a Dutch cartographer. Very nice artwork, but a bit beyond my skill level so far.
It will be a website that collates maps from all over the world (starting off with mainly real-world maps rather than fictional ones), adding historical, ethnic, and cartographical stories to these maps by way of information sharing. So for example users can search for a specific map of Europe from the 1800s, and find out more about who made it, what the icons depicted on the map are and what was going on in the world back then. This could later also include fictional maps - as clearly a lot of people love making them - and be an interactive website for people from all walks of life who are interested in storytelling, map making, map finding and such.
I'm talking about the historical era of the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century when all different kinds of Dutch industries were among the best in the world: trade, science, arts etc.
The website would be a completely different one to this one, we're by no means trying to replace this. It would have a strong educational focus, teaching people not only about cartography, but also about history. This way, the website can be used by children, academics, and map enthusiast who can all share stories about maps or historical periods.
Would this be something you could potentially use for inspiration for example?
So it would be a sort of historical record and current showcase forum, as opposed to a creative community like this one?
Yes the creative aspect wouldn't be one of the main focuses, more education/information/entertainment, with a (hopefully) massive collection of maps from different parts of the world or the classic globe.
Would you ever visit a website like that for informational purposes?
You may wish to take a look at this website as a starting point and inspiration: http://www.davidrumsey.com/
We do love reference around here, and if the collection you describe is of high quality, you'd probably get visitors from here on a regular basis. It would probably also be a useful reference for authors, screenwriters, and other creatives who are setting stories in the period(s) covered by the maps and information you provide.
Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
http://www.bryanray.name
I might do... but if I need to know something in particular, like what kind of ink was used on parchment or vellum so that I can try to digitally imitate the appearance, I usually just Google things and end up looking at a Wiki page.
People used to scoff at Wiki, and some still do, but its the most frequently used online encyclopaedia in the world. You would have to compete with Wiki to get to the top of the Google and Bing search lists and get yourselves noticed.
EDIT: Unless, of course you were intending to leave a load of useful links lying around here for me to use
Last edited by Mouse; 10-06-2016 at 01:25 PM.