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Posted by: Meagan Snow
The Geography & Map Division recently acquired a rare collection of maps showing the locations of television and movie filming locations in Los Angeles, California from the 1980s. This blog post explores the cartographic and cultural value of these exceedingly unique and eminently practical maps of Los Angeles.
Posted in: 21st century cartography, American History, Guest Posts
Posted by: Amelia Raines
For several hundred years, the term "Tartary" - or its Latin version, Tartaria - appeared on European maps, usually floating somewhere between Eastern Europe and China. This post explores the etymology of the place name and the various regions to which it referred.
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 16th century cartography, 17th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Asian History, Borders, European History
Posted by: Tim St. Onge
The Geography and Map Division collections include vibrant nineteenth century maps showcasing brand new American communities and promises of the "good life" to prospective lot or home buyers. This post explores the common themes and fascinating details of these highly artistic maps designed to lure investment.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History, City Histories
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Join us on Tuesday, June 10 at 3pm Eastern for a virtual orientation to maps of the Second World War at the Library of Congress.
Posted in: Events, Geography and Map Division
Posted by: Julie Stoner
The Geography and Map Division has thousands of topographic maps in its collections but some have a unique take on the rest of the category. This blog post highlights several maps and models that stand out as being different in form and shape from other topographic maps including a chocolate bar map, a pop up map, and a map made of compressed paper among others.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Physical Geography
Posted by: Amelia Raines
The Geography & Map Division recently digitized an important set of maps of Austria-Hungary. In this post, we explore these 19th- and early 20th-century maps and the layers of history and language that they contain.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, European History
Posted by: Amelia Raines
Hand coloring in printed European and American maps: when, what, and how to recognize it.
Posted in: 17th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Guest Posts, Series: Fabricating the World
Posted by: Julie Stoner
This post highlights some of the maps that were scanned and made available on the Library website in 2024.
Posted in: 16th century cartography, 19th century cartography, Series: A Year in Review
Posted by: Lena Mattson
On July 1, 1957, an unprecedented period of global scientific collaboration known as the International Geophysical Year began. Artificial satellites were launched, planetary weather observations were made for the first time, the understanding of plate tectonics was established, and more. Learn how the Army Map Service played a critical role during the IGY, providing the calculations that launched the U.S. into the space race.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Big Data and Visualization, Exploration