Two Collections in One: Maps & Butterflies by Image Surgery

I came across these gorgeous butterflies made from maps and was instantly smitten. I love butterfly collections to look at but have never been one for capturing them, preserving them, delicately pinning them, etc. I also love old maps but besides displaying them as art, I just have them folded up and stored in folders or boxes.

Joseph Lucien Warren of Image Surgery has created a series of butterflies made out of vintage maps and displayed in glass cases. From what I can tell, this man knows his butterflies! The wings vary in shape and vintage maps he uses add texture and varying color. One of our readers found a link to a DIY version. Of course if you collect vintage maps and they actually have value, maybe cutting them into butterfly shapes is not a good idea.

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• Roundup: Map Decor

Comments (20)

so cool!

posted by kdkaboom on September 30th 2009 at 1:11pm
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Oooh, I want.

posted by insanity_pepper on September 30th 2009 at 1:14pm
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I love these! I completely geeked out over them a couple of months ago:

http://visualingual.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/butterfly-by-joseph-lucien-warren/

I'm really tempted to try my hand at the DIY; thanks for the link!

posted by visualingual on September 30th 2009 at 1:26pm
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I like this much better than having dead butterflies. What a great idea.

posted by LoriSF on September 30th 2009 at 1:26pm
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lovely, just lovely...

posted by bakema on September 30th 2009 at 1:29pm
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all of the beauty and none of the ick

posted by Kate (NC) on September 30th 2009 at 2:08pm
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Totally love those butterflies. I'm also liking that science experiment-bottle (for obvious lack of the correct nomenclature) on the mantle next to it. More of those!

posted by clampers on September 30th 2009 at 2:16pm
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Stunning. Unfortunately for me, they come with a price to match.

Odd to see them on display with chili pepper lights.

posted by karsha on September 30th 2009 at 2:24pm
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This makes me feel much better than actual butterflies, which I have always loved the look, but have felt sort of cruel.

posted by MODERnestS on September 30th 2009 at 2:29pm
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I really love this idea! The maps look awesome, but you could do it with any papers, really. Like a little book of artwork from a museum, or children's books, or scrapbook papers, or textbooks, or postcards... I might have to try this.

posted by tequila red on September 30th 2009 at 2:39pm
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This is really pretty.

posted by elleaycee on September 30th 2009 at 5:09pm
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I have a strong dislike for butterflies (as a pattern etc, not in the wild!), but this is strangely attractive! Very cool.

posted by poweredbytofu on September 30th 2009 at 7:25pm
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Reputable butterfly displays are made by butterfly conservatories. Since many of the butterflies have short life spans and live out their life cycles in the conservatory, they are not killed for the display. Instead, the bodies are collected after their (natural) death and the proceeds from the displays help support the conservatory. It's important to buy them from legitimate sources but, if you do, there's no need to worry that the insects were killed for the purpose of creating the display.

These map ones are pretty, too!

posted by spottydog on September 30th 2009 at 9:25pm
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thanks for the clarification on the conservatory butterfly displays. it makes me feel better about them but they still feel a little creepy....love the map version..great color and shape variation..sound like a great travel momento project using ordinary maps from places visited.

posted by mkw on September 30th 2009 at 9:53pm
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Love, love, love!

I also like this little project from the Prudent Baby blog:

http://prudentbaby.blogspot.com/2009/09/framed-butterfly-specimen.html?showComment=1254259570071#c6349810737474698218

posted by tylr61 on September 30th 2009 at 10:14pm
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Okay, I'm a-stealin' this idea. Pure genius.

posted by Blandwagon on September 30th 2009 at 10:59pm
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These are great. Butterflies are such a lovely shape but dead insects are not so charming.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on October 1st 2009 at 4:30am
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beautiful!

posted by s_boston on October 1st 2009 at 1:38pm
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Oooooh...pretty. And does combine two of my favorite things.

posted by Cassis on October 1st 2009 at 1:40pm
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Inspired to copy this...wow.