Bored cartographers' doodles.

slowburner

Is it a myth that bored cartographers inserted cartoons into maps they worked on?
There is a rumour that contour lines were deliberately doctored to create amusing figures in out of the way places.
Allegedly, there is one of an elephant and one of a cannon shooting a ball - don't know where, don't know when.
The first person to post an image of one of these doodles, will win a year's free subscription to the Geography forum.

I know of the elephant doodle — it's in a 1923 map of Africa's Gold Coast. I believe I first heard of it on the TV show QI. Here's a (light on information) link.

Now, where's my free subscription?

slowburner

gvn wrote: »

I know of the elephant doodle — it's in a 1923 map of Africa's Gold Coast. I believe I first heard of it on the TV show QI. Here's a (light on information) link.

Now, where's my free subscription?

Congratulations!
You have just won a year's free subscription.

Delighted with that info. I always thought it was a myth.

SandyRamp

When I worked for a certain Department I knew one guy who would insert teeny tiny (sometimes rude) messages into forests or the like on maps to be sent out to certain Other Departments that couldn't really be seen with the naked eye! Legend!