Call it Left-of-Middle-Earth: The Bay Area has been given the Tolkien treatment by Lord of The Rings enthusiast Stentor Danielson. In a large collection, the Pittsburgh-based cartographer and geographer created several maps of our fair shores, bestowing upon us the mythical title “The Domain of San Francisco in the Realm of California.” His work is available for purchase on Etsy.
Danielson told Fast Co. Design that he became interested in geography thanks to Tolkien, whose intricate lore relies strongly on equally intricate maps.
Though clearly in the tenor and style of Tolkein's work, the maps stop short of drawing Middle-Earth analogies: Who wants to be Mordor, after all?
Tolkien famously said that he “wisely started with a map” when he imagined his universe. But on the other hand, it was Gandalf who chided that “the world is not in your books and maps, it's out there.” Gotta hear both sides.
