(19 June 2015) Australia’s only copy of the world’s largest atlas – measuring a mammoth 1.8 x 2.7 metres open – is on public display in the State Library’s Mitchell Library Reading Room for the next four weeks.
The Earth Platinum is a spectacular new addition to the State Library of NSW’s rich collections, which also boasts the world’s first atlas produced in 1570 by Ortelius.
Only 31 copies of the 150 kilo, limited edition Earth Platinum atlas were released by publisher Millennium House (Sydney) in 2012. Not surprisingly, it is listed in the Guinness World Records!
More than 100 international cartographers, geographers and photographers from across the globe were involved in the production of the maps included in the atlas. The 128 pages contain 61 pages of maps, 27 images of famous locations (including St.Peter’s Basilica, the Antarctic and Machu Picchu) and a double-page spread of the world’s national flags. Many of the images were made from stitching together 1,000 individual photos, and the largest image has 12,000 photos joined together.
The atlas was printed in Italy and bound in Hong Kong. Now Australians can see it in person for the first time at the State Library of NSW.
The media release is here.
