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Category: City Histories

Close-in view of city buildings pictorially drawn with railroad depot, train cars, and factories prominently featured.

Augustus Koch’s Views From Above

Posted by: Tim St. Onge

Among our collection of "bird’s-eye view" maps of U.S. and Canadian cities created from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the work Augustus Koch in particular stands out for his artistry, geographic range, and incredible cartographic detail. His maps and historical newspaper clippings relating to his work attest not only to his mastery of the form but the value of panoramic maps in instilling civic pride.

a map produced by the USGS of the original plan of Washington, D.C. made by Pierre L'Enfant

Urban Planning Legends: City Design Makeovers before the Olympics

Posted by: Lena Denis

Excitement about the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics is sweeping our own nation’s capital, as it is in so many places around the world. Here at the Library of Congress, we’re certainly marking the occasion. The Informal Learning Office (ILO) recently hosted an Olympics-themed Family Day, and afterward they published a blog post about it where …

A street map of Paris dated 1870

Exploring Haussmannian Paris

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 …