OldMapsOnline.org is a search engine for historical maps that indexes nearly400.000 maps from a variety of archives and libraries worldwide. Contributors from English speaking institutions include: USGS Historical Topographic Maps; National Library of Scotland; The David Rumsey Map Collection; New York Public Library, Map Division; British Library, Map Library; Harvard Library, Harvard Map Collection; Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library; State Library New South Wales; University of Manchester Map Library.Search for a place, even a small one, and a list of maps that include it starting with that with greatest resolution, is returned.
There are no contributing institutions from Canada which may explain why coverage is not so good.
For a mobile app version with more than 280,000 maps, go to http://www.oldmapsonline.org/mobile/
Beware, this site may well draw you in and ruin your carefully scheduled day.
This is an absolutely wonderful find, and will take much time to work through it all. This, plus the earlier British films and AP link will indeed wreck any plans one had made for leisure time.
ReplyDeleteGail B in St. C.
I agree with Gail. I have not had time to check out this site until now. It is almost 9 pm and I may be up for hours. My ancestors lived in Wolf Cleugh, Allendale, Northumberland, UK in the early 1800 census. I was able to find it on a map for the first time.
ReplyDeleteThis is great. John, thank you for searching all the time.
I zoomed in on some of these maps. The resolution is incredible.
ReplyDelete