Painting the world pink

Cartography in the iconography of British imperialism portrayed the visual culture of the British Empire. The Empire came to cover huge swathes of territory and from the nineteenth century onwards, Commonwealth countries were coloured pink on maps. Pink was a printer’s compromise for letters overprinted to be clearly read, as the colour that was traditionally Continue Reading

The origins of Ordnance Survey

The Ordnance Survey is a well-known British institution providing comprehensive geographical data for a multitude of purposes. Utilised during Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and a vital organ of the National Curriculum, Ordnance Survey maps will be familiar to most students through the education system. Weekend exploration in the Lake District, Peak District and other areas Continue Reading

A history of alcohol: gin

Classically, gin should be served with cubes of ice, a wedge of lime and tonic water. But where do the tonic and lime come from? Tonic contains quinine which has antimalarial properties and became an important mixer with gin for colonial British officers, initially in South Asia but also in Africa. Lime was originally added to gin to make lime juice more palatable, because it was a good countermeasure against scurvy.