SECRET MAPS – Exhibition Private View

Curators Tom Harper, Nick Dykes and Magdalena Peszko lead us into the hidden landscapes of history, where maps don’t just show the world — they shape it, conceal it and reveal its silent truths. This short exhibition film offers a glimpse into Secret Maps — a major new show at the British Library that unravels the mysteries behind some of history’s most fascinating cartographic objects.

From the 14th century to the present, maps have been used to control knowledge, hide strategic secrets and redraw the boundaries of what we think we know. The works featured here represent just a small selection from over 120 objects on display, themselves drawn from a collection of more than four million maps. Each invites you to consider not just where lines run, but why they were drawn, erased or obscured.

This film is an invitation to look closer, to read between symbols and shadow, and to encounter the power and poetry woven through every map’s secret.

This exhibition was made possible with support from Wayland Games and Tony & Maureen Wheeler, with thanks to Kathryn Uhde, Sir Trevor and Lady Susan Chinn, The Indigo Trust and Richard H Brown.

*Film and soundtrack by Jean-Philippe Calvin

Secret Maps is on view until 18 January 2026 — come and discover the maps you were never meant to see.

Learn more and book online: https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/secr...