Top of page
Posted by: Meagan Snow
Many have debated whether the Amazon or Nile is the world's longest river. This blog post explores a time period in American history in which there was another contender: the Missouri River.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
During the 19th century Paris underwent a major urban renewal. I am focusing on some of the maps that were published before, during, and after the renovation of Paris. Before the renovation, the residents of central Paris suffered from cholera epidemics, overcrowding and a high infant mortality rate. The Bievre River, which flowed into the …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, City Histories, European History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Women have made significant contributions to the field of cartography throughout history. In celebration of Women’s History Month I have chosen to write about the noted 19th century cartographer, educator, and historian, Eugenia Almira Wheeler Goff. Eugenia Wheeler was born in 1844 in North Clarkson, New York. Her family moved to Winona, Minnesota when she …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Biography, Women's History
Posted by: Sonia Kahn
This blog post explores the life of notable Texas history figure, Samuel Houston, and the foundation of the city of Houston. It uses maps from our collection to showcase how Texas appeared at different points during Sam Houston's life. It also features some early maps of Houston as the city developed.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History, City Histories
Posted by: Meagan Snow
Discussion of the Battle of Fredericksburg, showcasing maps of the battle held in the Geography & Map Division of the Library of Congress.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History
Posted by: Amelia Raines
In 1884-85, a group of European dignitaries met in Berlin and delineated the boundaries of French, British, Belgian, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German colonies on the continent of Africa. Lines drawn on the map became administrative reality, and over the next few decades European governments busied themselves with exploring, surveying, and conquering their new territories. One …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, African History, Borders, European History, Exploration
Posted by: Sonia Kahn
Did you know that worldwide, roughly 55 earthquakes are recorded per day? Of course, the vast majority of these seismic events are minor, making it all the more impressive that we are able to detect them. The technology used to gather data on earthquakes and seismic movements has vastly improved over time, and with it …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, 21st century cartography, Big Data and Visualization
Posted by: Julie Stoner
On the Geography and Map Division home page, we keep a list of maps newly placed online. As has become tradition (see previous Year in Review posts), to celebrate the end of a year and to ring in the new, I take a look back at the digitized maps that are now available online from …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Series: A Year in Review
Posted by: Meagan Snow
The end of the 19th century saw a rise in the proliferation of data visualizations alongside traditional cartography and thematic mapping. A terrific example of this type of work is Scribner’s Statistical Atlas of the United States, which “shows by graphic methods [the states’] present condition and their political, social, and industrial development.” The atlas …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, American History, Big Data and Visualization