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a map of the US in 1880s with shading to show density of certain kinds of manufacturing in each state

Made in America: U.S. Manufacturing in Gilded Age Census Maps

Posted by: Lena Denis

I recently heard a factoid in passing that fascinated me and sparked further investigation: after having been decidedly middle of the pack immediately post-Civil War, the United States’ share of total world manufacturing output became the highest in the world between 1880 and 1900, with a near exponential pace of growth during these decades. Oddly, …

Detail of image of Massachusetts state house showing image of cod on the wall

In Cod We Trust: Fishing Grounds and National Ambitions in Early Maps of North America

Posted by: Lena Denis

Growing up in a Brazilian-American household, I’ve long appreciated the delicious versatility of the Atlantic cod, scientific name Gadus morhua, known to the Portuguese-speaking world as bacalhau in its preferred salted and dried form. It was only when I began working as a map librarian, however, that I saw how powerful cod truly was. Centuries …

A photo of the Jno. Glidden ship as it sinks.

Lost at Sea: The Treasure Maps of the Library of Congress

Posted by: Cynthia Smith

A picture of a skull and crossbones marks the location of a special collection in the Geography and Map Division. The collection consists of wreck charts published by U.S. federal government agencies, treasure maps made by famous cartographers during the 18th and 19th centuries, and treasure maps published by commercial companies during the mid -20th …