~ Sustainable Seafaring from Oceania. History, Design, and Relevance ~

September 29, 2015

Herb Kane's excellent illustrations for National Geographic

Here are some scans of Herb Kane's map/poster from the 1974 National Geographic article "The Coming of the Polynesians". 

(These files are really big so I've posted them seperately.)

It turns out that this poster is actually available from purchase from National Geographic.  Go here and scroll to the bottom of the page:
http://nationalgeographic.pny.com/Maps_home.aspx?Category=Maps

"The Discoverers of the Pacific map was published in December 1974 as half of a two-map set with the Islands of the Pacific map and the article “The Coming of the Polynesians.” An educational work, this map contains an abundance of information about Pacific islanders, their shipbuilding techniques, types of canoes, and how they navigated using the stars, birds, and other natural data.

The 1974 Discoverers of the Pacific map features

  • A map showing the travels of Pacific islanders and how various islands were discovered
  • Information on Pacific islanders, their history, and their extraordinary seafaring abilities
  • Illustrations and information on the canoe-building practices of Pacific islanders
  • Illustrations and information about many types of canoes
  • “Steering by Stars and Sea” article with illustrations to show how islanders navigated
  • Illustrations of various peoples who inhabited the Pacific
  • Illustrations of native shipbuilding tools
Coverage Area: South Pacific, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Polynesia, Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Australia

To purchase a wall-size version of this map click here.