Historical Maps
Monsen
Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
This thread about Historical Maps is one of the curated threads in the Resources category. Here you can find links to various sources for historical maps, mostly online, but also book recommendations and the like. This thread is about actual historical maps from Earth not fantasy maps inspired by the style of historic maps. It also covers modern maps of historical locations.
The link goes to the forum post that brought the content to the forum. A direct link to the content is provided in parenthesis for easy access, but please go to the forum post to discuss the content.
Only this top post is curated, users can use the comments below to add links themselves, but I suggest that you do this by starting your own discussion in the Cartographic Resources category, and link to that discussion from your comment here. That way each source have it's own thread where it can be discussed. I'll add the best links to the curated content, but the comments here will be a way to discover even more resources than I showcase.
As time goes by, some links may get outdated as sites die and gets replaced by other sites. If you find any such links here, please use the Flag link to notify me about this but please don't use Flag to ask me to add links.
Historical Maps
- Ancient Earth - 750 million years of earth history (dinosaurpictures.org)
- City Map Collection (reddit.com)
- David Rumsey Map Collection (davidrumsey.com)
- Europe in the 18th & 19th century (mapire.eu)
- George III's collection of military maps (militarymaps.rct.uk)
- Historical European Maps (euratlas.net discusmedia.com)
- Hobbs Architectural Designs (archive.org)
- The Huntington - Maps and Atlases (huntington.org)
- National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)
- New York Public Library 1544-2001 (nypl.org)
- Norwegian Historical maps (kartverket.no)
- Old Maps Online (oldmapsonline.org)
- Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection (lib.utexas.edu)
- Sanborn Maps (loc.gov)
- Reconstruction of German Castles (burgrekonstruktion.de)
- Survey of London (british-history.ac.uk)
- McMaster University Digital Map Collections (mcmaster.ca)
- Theban Mapping Project - Valley of the Kings (thebanmappingproject.com)
- Fra Mauro's 15th Century world map (mostre.museogalileo.it)
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Comments
Thanks for this, Remy. A central reference list at last!
Just as a side note: the Ferraris Map is one of the maps available from the mapire site (the second link on line 2 above), if you click the Maps tab, pick country maps, and then chose the "Belgium /Ferraris/ (1777)" map.
Remy, I have a number of excellent historic city sites - how do I get you interested in putting them on this page?
Start by posting your own topic in the Cartographic Resources category with a good title, descriptions and links. I'll then link to that topic if I like it (and in any case, you can drop a link to that topic in a comment here so people reading through the comments will notice it)
Will do - tomorrow, as it is 1.10 am here
Here is a link to a great source of 19th century town blocks.
Another link to city maps through the ages
https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/61fdp6/heres_a_collection_of_over_360_historical_city/
Don't forget everyone's (maybe not) favorite: https://www.davidrumsey.com/
https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/index.html is a good source (the main /maps site is a good resource for modern maps as well).
https://www.huntington.org/collections/maps-atlases has a lot of nice pieces as well. Most major universities and libraries seem to have their rare documents online to some extent these days, but those three are a good starting point. Another good source is online auction houses that specialize in antiquities (there are lots of these).
I'd make topics for these links, but that seems really hard. I'd have to click several buttons.
I'd make topics for these links, but that seems really hard. I'd have to click several buttons.
I can enable API access for you if you prefer to do it programmatically.
I also love this archive, available via the 2016 annual - Hobbs Architectural designs. A wonderful source
Can I suggest inclusion of this castle map collection in the Historical map list, please
Fantastic castle illustrations for reference — ProFantasy Community Forum
Added to the list.
Can I suggest this Survey of London - great descriptions, pictures and Maps.