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The Point of Beginning

An Historic Itinerary of the Initial Points of the Contiguous United States

thenorthroom w/ plinth
2006–07
The grid of the Rectangular Survey System is a defining feature of the landscape of the Western United States--exacting on the ground and strikingly visible from the air. Within millions of square miles of gridded land, there exist 32 distinct markers or "initial points" that serve as the zero-point for individual survey campaigns. thenorthroom, in collaboration with plinth design, has published a travel brochure that tabulates each of these Points of Beginning along with their driving directions, attitude/longitude designations, surveyors' field notes, and a history of the Rectangular Survey System. Originating in an enduring interest in the various cultures of marking and measuring the landscape, this historical itinerary begins to make legible the invisible structures which define the textures of the built environment.

images
pamphlet