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Era: Modern & Planetary·Cartographer: R. Buckminster Fuller & Shoji Sadao·Year: 1954·Open Access / Educational
Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion AirOcean World Map (1954)
"Unfolding the globe onto an icosahedron to show Spaceship Earth as one continuous island"
Patented in 1954, Fuller's Dymaxion map projected the globe onto 20 equilateral triangles, unfolding them with zero standard 'North-Up' orientation to reveal all seven continents connected in one continuous landmass.
Interactive Specimen Pan & ZoomAccession: M1090 Fuller Collection
Orientation: Polyhedral
860 × 580 mm
R. Buckminster Fuller & Shoji Sadao·1954·Stanford University Special Collections / Fuller Archive
ZOOM: 100%Repository Archive
Notable Cartographic Signatures
- Earth presented as one continuous island in one continuous ocean
- No cardinal top or bottom; can be viewed from any angle
- Minimal local area and shape distortion across all continental landmasses
The Rhetorical & Ideological Argument
"A planetary ecological manifesto against nationalist chauvinism: Earth has no 'Up' or 'Down' in space; humanity shares one single global ecosystem."
Explicit Features
- Earth presented as one continuous island in one continuous ocean
- No cardinal top or bottom; can be viewed from any angle
- Minimal local area and shape distortion across all continental landmasses
Intentional Omissions
- Continuous maritime ocean routes (oceans are heavily interrupted)
Physical Specimen & Geodesy
Projection:
Polyhedral Icosahedral Projection
Orientation Axis:
Polyhedral
Physical Medium:
Offset color print on card stock (unfolded icosahedron)
Original Physical Dimensions:
860 × 580 mm
Custodial Repository:
Stanford University Special Collections / Fuller Archive
Accession: M1090 Fuller Collection
Interdisciplinary Context & Connections
MorphologiumCOMPUTES
Icosahedral Geodesic Subdivision
NarratologiumCREATES
Spaceship Earth Ecological Narrative
Academic Provenance: Fuller, R. B. (1954)