Digitizing Sanborn Maps For Research

D-Lib Magazine documents attempts to digitize Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps™ for research by planner, demographers and others.

1 minute read

August 15, 2002, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


From 1867 through 1970, writes the librarian-author, "the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps documented the rise of American cities, and their block-by-block detail has assured their popularity and importance to modern-day researchers. ... Aside from the intended audience of insurance companies, the maps have been of value to genealogists, demographers, environmentalists, urban planners, historians, and laypersons, and it is no surprise that attempts have been made in recent years to digitize the maps." The article discusses technical issues, copyright, and past abor, ative attempts to make the maps available digitally, and the portion of the collection made available online by the University of Utah.

Thanks to Dateline APA

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