Top of page
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
This post summarizes the Great Fire of London that occurred in 1666 and the plans that were proposed for rebuilding the city.
Posted in: 17th century cartography, City Histories, European History
Posted by: Amelia Raines
The Harlem Hellfighters, an African-American regiment of the US Army, recently received the Congressional Gold Medal to honor their service during World War I. Explore their story through these maps from the Geography & Map Division.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, African American History, American History, European History, Military History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
The Library of Congress holds an extensive collection of maps that have been printed, drawn and embroidered on cloth. This post features a few examples of textile maps held in the Geography and Map Division.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, 21st century cartography, American History, Asian History, European History, Military History
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: 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: Cynthia Smith
For centuries, there have been unconventional beliefs about the shape of the Earth. This post provides a historical overview of alternative theories about the Earth's form.
Posted in: American History, European History, Imaginary maps
Posted by: Abraham Parrish
This post covers the cultural geographic origins and spread of the gift giver figure through various maps.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, American History, City Histories, European History, Military History
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
The Borgia world map is described in this post. The map was made during the 15th century by an unknown cartographer. In 1794, the map was purchased at an antique store in Portugal by Cardinal Stefano Borgia.
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 18th century cartography, European History
Posted by: Lena Mattson
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 …
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, American History, City Histories, European History