NYPL Incorporates Its Historic Map Collection Into Google Earth
Outline and Index Map of Atlas of New York City : Manhattan Island (1897). Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.
The NYPL has included 2,000 maps from from the New York City Fire Insurance Atlases (1852-1923) in the Google Earth index. These highly detailed maps illustrate individual building structures, lot dimensions, neighborhood zoning and the region’s topography. By incorporating historic collections with Google Earth’s platform, the NYPL provides the curious with a contextual structure for browsing and comparing cartographic documents. Once you’ve downloaded the map index, you can launch Google Earth and chart the development of the built environment in NYC.
For more detailed information about the New York City Fire Insurance Atlases and to download the Google Earth index, visit the NYPL’s website.
Tags: Google Earth, maps, New York, NYPL, urban planning