Sometimes — but very rarely — hiding deep within the banal pages of normally unremarkable government documents, you hit on a gem. This map of the Mississippi River Valley is one such gem. Harold N. Fisk's expansive geological surveys of the river's distant past and current (for the time) flow is a cascading colorscape connecting us to our roots. This 1944 map, crafted by W. O. Dement for Fisk and the Army Corps of Engineers is dizzying and, ultimately, gorgeous.
· My 5 Favorite Maps: Bill Rankin [City Lab]
· Cool Map Thing [Curbed NOLA]