This map, created by Stephen Ruggles in 1830, depicts the city of Boston. The map is designed to be interpreted by blind people.

This work by Ruggles is one of the first maps created at the Perkins School in Watertown, Massachusetts, a school founded to teach blind people. The map of Boston, the city closest to Watertown, is made from a thin wooden board. Ruggles drew the street network of Boston on it and then removed everything related to buildings, parks and water. He then glued it onto a green board, producing the result that can be seen in the image.

In the newsletter, I have written more about maps for the blind and their history. You can read it here:

1. The origins of cartography for the blind
2. Braille, Kunz and modern cartography for the blind
3. The present and future of cartography for the blind

Sources

• Modified Map of Boston