/r/papertowns
Papertowns is dedicated to well-crafted pictorial maps, detailed panoramic cityscapes, broad aerial vistas, intricate bird's-eye views, even full 3D reconstructions of cities, towns and citadels from any place.
Definition (According to /r/papertowns):
Papertowns: well-crafted pictorial maps, detailed panoramic cityscapes, broad aerial vistas, intricate bird's-eye views, fictional cities, even full 3D reconstructions both digital and physical. We enjoy anything from the famed citadels of antiquity to the quaint towns of the middle ages and the vibrant metropolises of our time.
If you also enjoy these works of cartography, history and art, then you'll fit in just fine.
Civility rule: Be courteous to others. Any post that puts down anyone for any reason will result in an immediate and permanent ban.
Relevance rule: Only post content related to this subreddit's definition of Papertowns (see above).
Title rule: Always include the city if possible and current country name in the submission title, otherwise it will be removed.
Repost rule: A repost may only be allowed if the original post has fewer than 100 upvotes and was submitted at least 6 months ago. If you wish to repost a popular submission, you may do so by making a text-submission, with the exact title as the original and it must promote an educated and relevant discussion.
This subreddit is dedicated to high quality illustrations only. Please bear that in mind when making a contribution here. Low quality or "casual" content will most likely be removed.
Filter Search by Country!
In order to keep things well organized, every submission has a country flair. Here are two short examples that illustrate how you can search for all papertowns from any specific country:
1. If the name of the country consists of a single word, for example Japan, then you will search like this:
flair:japan
2. If the name of the country consists of multiple words, for example United States, then you will search like this:
flair:united_states
Also, you can just click the flair next to any submission title to perform this search automatically.
Tip: In addition to its own separate flair, UK has four extra flairs for each of its constituent countries.
Here are some other similar subreddits you might be interested in:
/r/paperfolks for illustrations depicting the everyday life of our ancestors
/r/Map_Porn & /r/MapPorn for those of you who just love maps in general
/r/ImaginaryMaps if you're interested in Maps of fictional realms
/r/ImaginaryCityscapes if you enjoy Art featuring urban landscapes
/r/CityPorn for stunning pictures of cities from all around the world
/r/oldmaps for gorgeous maps of centuries past
/r/animatedbattlemaps & /r/battlegifs for studying the strategy and tactics of historical battles
If you want to be more professional...
/r/papertowns
125,472 Subscribers
Fortress of Qashliq/Sibir in 1582, serving as the capital of Tatar Khanate of Sibir, a break-up state of the Golden Horde. In the same year, it would be conquered and plundered by the Russian troops. [Modern-day Russia]
05:19 UTC
Wooden castle of Kyiv, buit in the 1370-1380s, and ultimately deserted in the 17th century. Modern-day Ukraine.
21:37 UTC
Silesian town of Swidnica/Schweidnitz in the past. Modern-day Poland.
17:43 UTC
Fighting Fantasy - Seas of Blood gambook. In the fictional city of Tak, renowned as the ultimate haven for criminals, two pirates stand out for their unbridled avarice and audacious exploits: Abdul the Butcher and yourself.
12:40 UTC
Lansing, Michigan, USA, 1866
12:13 UTC
Halifax, Canada, 1879, had a population of around 50,000 people at this time.
13:02 UTC
Construction of the Great Wall of China, Ming Dynasty, 16th Century (by Steve Noon, for Osprey Publishing)
06:56 UTC
Frankfurt/Germany. Skatepark at the European Central Bank.....in an aquarium. Original pencildrawing by me (20x90cm) 2024
17:59 UTC
Mount Grace Priory (England, UK) 1538 - Today
09:00 UTC
Ávila, Spain as drawn by Anton van den Wyngaerde in 1570
12:09 UTC
An impression of Amsterdam during its modest beginnings as a fishing village, present-day Netherlands. (c. late 13th century)
18:12 UTC
Map of Pyongyang, North Korea, by unidentified artist, 19th or 20th c. Eight-panel screen with ink and color on paper. Sold at Christie's on 09/19/2023 for $10,080
13:35 UTC
The Bass Islands, Ohio, USA 2024
18:04 UTC
One of my favorite fictional maps. I hope it helps others defeat the beast... 🌑🌒🌓🌕 Jonathan Green - Howl of the Werewolf.
14:08 UTC
Panorama of London, England (1964)
13:52 UTC
Bergen, Norway. Formerly the largest city and capital of Norway. Picture is from the 1580.
11:12 UTC
Kirov street in Minsk (Belarus) depicted by Serghey Petrovich Katkov (1911-1970). Second half of the 20th century
14:59 UTC
Lisbon (Portugal) from Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg's atlas Civitates orbis terrarum, 1572
09:57 UTC
Carthage Tunisia during Antiquity
12:54 UTC
Fighting Fantasy - Spellbreaker gamebook fictional map. It has been 31 years since the book was published, and it has been 32 years since Jonathan Green wrote it.
18:53 UTC
Tynemouth Priory and Castle (England, UK). Early 1500s - Early 2000s
21:21 UTC
The Roman turf-and-timber fort of Olicana (Ilkley, in Yorkshire, England) established 80 AD, abandoned by 120 AD
01:13 UTC
The 9th Century Anglo-Saxon burgh of Wareham, Dorset, England, fortified by Alfred the Great against the incursions of the Vikings
00:57 UTC
Dartmouth Castle (England, UK) through time
10:29 UTC
Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1544 [4096*4029]
10:27 UTC
Stonehenge (United Kingdom) through time
11:04 UTC