In 1893, Orlando Ferguson from Hot Springs, South Dakota, published a map of the Earth - which he claimed was flat, square and stationary. He asserted his model was supported by the Bible. High resolution image and more info here

The map found in the LOC, titled "Map of the Square and Stationary Earth" shows the world as a circular depression in a square block, with a mound in the center representing the North Pole. The continents and oceans are distorted to fit this shape, and the South Pole is replaced by a jagged ring of ice that forms the edge of the world.

The sun and moon are depicted as lamps that rotate around the North Pole on curved arms. The North Star stays fixed above the North Pole.

Ferguson asserted we couldn’t live on a spinning planet circling the Sun. To prove that point, his map included an illustration of people struggling to stay on an orbiting earth.

This fantastical map offers an opportunity to think about the challenges of representing a globe on a two dimensional map. Here's some questions you might use with students: 

• What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a map or a globe to depict the Earth?
• How do maps and globes distort or simplify the reality of the Earth’s shape and features?
• How do maps and globes reflect the worldview and perspective of their creators and users?
• How does the shape of the Earth affect our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world?