Flares into Darkness: If you like maps

Monday, April 16, 2012

If you like maps

West Indian Atlas title plate (click any image to enlarge)

West Indian Atlas - Windward Passage

West Indian Atlas - Rhunmb Lines & Anchorages at Acores Islands

If, like me, you can spend hours pouring over maps then you need to visit the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. As they explain in the introduction to the site:

The historical map collection has over 31,000 maps and images online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented.

Popular collection categories include antique atlas, globe, school geography, maritime chart, state, county, city, pocket, wall & case, children's, and manuscript maps. Search examples are United States map, Geology maps, California map, Afghanistan map, America map, New York City map, Chicago map, and U.S. Civil War maps. Browse map categories: What, Where, Who, When. The collection can be used to study history, genealogy, art, explorations, local and family history.

The site has the maps categorized and also includes a lot of plates that went along with the maps. Further, as demonstrated by the two images below, the maps can be zoomed in to view in considerable detail.

This post continues just a few samples of the maps and plates available at the site. There are more samples after the jump, and of course literally thousands more at the above link. It is a great site for mapophiles, but be warned it will take up a lot of your time.