❤️🍎🍉 COLOR 🍉🍎❤️ is worth one thousand words Map: Map of New York City showing concrete socialism in red, and private enterprises in white, 1895 (1895) #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism #history #nycmap #manhattan - ThreadSky

bplmaps.bsky.social • 22 hours ago

❤️🍎🍉 COLOR 🍉🍎❤️ is worth one thousand words

Map: Map of New York City showing concrete socialism in red, and private enterprises in white, 1895 (1895)

#bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism #history #nycmap #manhattan

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bplmaps.bsky.social•22 hours ago

This map appeared in a book by the socialist activist Walter Vrooman in 1895. Vrooman was an advocate for public amenities like parks, playgrounds, and educational institutions, and he believed that the government had a crucial role to play in creating a fairer economy.

bplmaps.bsky.social•22 hours ago

This map uses a clever technique to argue that New York City was already mostly socialist by the end of the 19th century. It uses just two colors: red, the printing color, and the negative white space of the paper color.

bplmaps.bsky.social•22 hours ago

The red area shows the parts of the the city that were putatively “socialist” already—things like roads, parks, bridges, and wharves that were owned and managed by the public. Only the leftover space was devoted to private enterprises.

bplmaps.bsky.social•22 hours ago

By showing the “concrete socialism” of every street, park, school, public building, and public dock, the author of this map hoped that readers would draw the conclusion that it was time to paint the rest of the map red, as well.

bplmaps.bsky.social•22 hours ago

By analyzing the mapmaker, this map helps draw our attention to purpose and intent. Color (and the lack there of) can impact what we focus on, what we value, and what we acknowledge as “correct”. When reviewing a map, always try and think “What might this map be trying to convince me of?”

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