Imagine a map that allows you to see what your neighborhood looked like a century ago in immense detail. What you’re thinking of is probably very much like the fire insurance maps produced from the 1860s to the 1970s for insurance companies to identify potential fire risks.
Often referred to as Sanborn maps, after the Sanborn Map Company that produced them, fire insurance maps were created for every city in the United States with a population greater than 1,000 people. Over a century, more than 50,000 editions of these maps were produced, comprising over 700,000 map sheets — many of which have been scanned and are publicly accessible through the Library of Congress.
Genealogists, historic preservationists, historians and urban planners commonly use these maps to understand past urban landscapes. But as a critical cartographer interested in how maps shape how people understand the world, Assistant Professor of Geography and Sustainability Jack Swab sees these maps differently. Read more at The Conversation.
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