The
David Rumsey Map Collection is full of hidden gems - Over 100,000 MAPS!!
https://archive.org/details/david-rumsey-map-collection
https://mailchi.mp/archive.org/email-20230413rumseymapsOn The Map
Cartography lovers unite! The David Rumsey Map Collection is home to more than 100,000 historic maps, atlases, charts, and diagrams, dating from the 16th century to the modern day. First founded in 1985, this massive collection was donated to the Internet Archive for preservation purposes in 2022–here are a few of our favorite finds!
Places of the Past
Ever wanted to explore Egypt circa 1935 or see what the English county of Lancashire looked like in the early 17th century? This collection is home to thousands of maps from around the world and throughout history–check out this early map of the world, these Edo-period maps of Buddhist shrines, or this Depression-era map of Hilo, Hawaii.
Infographics and Illustrations
Maps are for much more than just finding your way around–they can also be a useful tool for communicating data. Educators, marketers, and researchers have long relied on maps to share non-geographical information, whether they were showing the distribution of horse breeds around the world or major American imports in the 1950’s. Maps can showcase the wonders of new technology (such as this “Air Age Map of the World”) or commemorate major achievements (such as this map showcasing the first reconnaissance of the solar system)–or they can just make it easy to compare the size of Earth’s largest rivers and lakes.
Fun and Fanciful
Of course, maps are also useful for more frivolous purposes, from this humorous map of the Rocky Mountain National Park to this satirical depiction of the Crimean War. A few fun finds include a rhyming children’s map of London, an extensive exploration of “Fairyland”, and even a collection of tiny maps placed on playing cards.
Whether you study historical cartography or just want to browse some unusual charts, the David Rumsey Map Collection is full of hidden gems. Have fun exploring, and enjoy the archive!
-The Internet Archive Team
https://archive.org/details/david-rumsey-map-collection
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