Canary Isles, from "Court Game of Geography" 1838 - 1855

This is Canary Isles, from "Court Game of Geography", created by William and Henry Rock. This card reminds us that geography, seemingly objective, is always wrapped up in the politics of nationhood and empire. Consider the game itself, designed to educate and entertain, subtly instilling a sense of British dominion and global awareness in its players. Here, the Canary Islands are rendered in the same style as the African coast, flattening the representation of geographical specificity and political reality. This equalizing visual treatment obscures the distinct histories, cultures, and power dynamics at play. Colonization appears as a silent actor in this image, an erasure that implicates the viewer as a participant in its ongoing narrative. The islands, off the coast of Africa, were a site of Spanish colonization. How does this card shape or reflect societal issues, inviting us to reflect on our own relationship with the legacies of exploration and colonialism, and the stories we tell ourselves about the world?