Massive Historical Map Collection Added to Digital Library

A private collection of 38,000 historical maps has been added to the Digital Public Library of America, reports Rebecca Rosen, making it more accessible to researchers and anyone interested in the history of their community.

1 minute read

May 2, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"More than three decades ago, David Rumsey began building a map collection. By the mid-90s he had thousands and thousands of maps to call his own -- and his alone. He wanted to share them with the public."

"Bit by bit, Rumsey digitized his collection -- up to 38,000 maps and other items-- along the way developing software that made it easier for people to explore the maps and 3D objects such as globes online. Today, the Digital Public Library of America announced that Rumsey's collection would now be available through the DPLA portal, placing the maps into the deeper and broader context of the DPLA's other holdings."

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