The Milky Way Transit Authority

Looking for the shortest connection from our solar system to Omega Centauri? Don´t panic! Just check the "Milky Way Transit Authority"-plan and prepare to change lines frequently.
Thanks to the universal 1933 design of Harry Beck, we can find our way through every metropolis on the planet.
Samuel Arbesman has now created a similar map of the milky way, which easily lets you find your way to the suburbia of our neighbouring Canis Major-galaxy (change at new-outer-junction!)

I once wrote about the "City Space"-record sleeve which used the map of the public transport system of Hamburg with global destinations instead of local stations. These maps are fascinating in their reduction of huge, chaotic places into an intelligent and aesthetically pleasing piece of functional artwork.


Speaking of interplanetary travel is a good excuse to post some pictures of the real rocket-man Wernher von Braun, who came to America after he cleverly managed to leave his old sugar-daddy (Hitler) for another one (Disney).



"Vurnurr van Brown" always knew how to strike a pose and he brilliantly established and exploited the image of the technocratic German nerd by cultivating an aura of icy elegance and dry genius (with a strong German accent).


For a long time I was never aware that von Braun teamed up with Walt Disney to steer the public and political interest towards his billion dollar dream of the space-age. Together with Disney he worked on some feature lengths films, "Disney´s Man in Space" which some see as the kickstart for the space-race. Disney is using all his skills at entertaining propaganda, which culminates in von Braun presenting his detailed (and funky) plans of rocket-design and space travel.


It´s fascinating and hypnotising and almost helps you to forget that only a few years before, von Braun was designing and building weapons of mass destruction with the help of enslaved victims of Nazi Germany.

Wernher von Braun in "Disney´s Man is Space"