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.

MORE MAPS
• Roundup: Map Decor

Comments (20)

so cool!

Oooh, I want.

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!

I like this much better than having dead butterflies. What a great idea.

lovely, just lovely...

all of the beauty and none of the ick

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!

Stunning. Unfortunately for me, they come with a price to match.

Odd to see them on display with chili pepper lights.

This makes me feel much better than actual butterflies, which I have always loved the look, but have felt sort of cruel.

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.

This is really pretty.

I have a strong dislike for butterflies (as a pattern etc, not in the wild!), but this is strangely attractive! Very cool.

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!

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.

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

Okay, I'm a-stealin' this idea. Pure genius.

These are great. Butterflies are such a lovely shape but dead insects are not so charming.

beautiful!

Oooooh...pretty. And does combine two of my favorite things.

Inspired to copy this...wow.