Karta radiat︠s︡ionnoĭ obstanovki na territorii evropeĭskoĭ chasti SSSR po sostoi︠a︡nii︠u︡ na dekabrʹ 1990 goda : plotnostʹ zagri︠a︡znenii︠a︡ mestnosti t︠s︡eziem-137 : masshtab 1:500 000
This key refers to other maps that depict the extent of contamination from the Chernobyl disaster. Interestingly, it indicates that maps of Cesium-137 distribution were much more detailed than those of Strontium-90 from the same month and year; while only four maps were used to represent the contaminated territory, this document suggests that many more were produced to cover the same area for the Cesium maps. While it does not itself provide this information, it points to two important things: first, the state of published knowledge about contamination from the accident at a pivotal historical moment; and second the extent of relevant territory for those who made the maps. While I have not (yet) located the other maps, this document serves as a baseline for further research.
Topographic map of the Los Angeles aqueduct and adjacent territory
This map shows the topographic survey and county lines of the area around the Los Angeles aqueduct as it makes its way from its source at the Long Valley reservoir north of the city down to the city itself.
Map of the city of New York, showing the original high water line and the location of the different farms and estates.
This map is a survey of the city of New York showing the location of farms, estates, street names and the high water lines. This survey is interesting as it shows the survey lines of the Manhattan grid dashed beneath the boundary lines of original estates and farms as well as the high water line that demarcated the boundaries of the landscape.
Western North Carolina, a Vacationist's Map and Guide
This map produced by the North Carolina State Advertising Division illustrates the recreational opportunities of Western North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains form the geographic boundaries of the region; there are no images or opportunities noted beyond the state lines. The image consists of two maps. "The Fun" includes illustrations and labels of local tourist attractions. "The Hiways" is a standard road map of the same region. Outdoor recreation opportunities are highlighted. The pictorial representation of the mountain ranges defines the map; by naming each mountain, the map makers indicate to the viewer that they are places worth knowing. Waterfalls, hiking trails, and lakes are also found across the map. This includes Fontana Lake, a lake created by a TVA dam. Amenities are drawn all over the map. Trails, camp spots, small towns, and major roads traverse the entire landscape, making every labelled spot both visually and practically accessible to the traveler. The road map in the bottom right-hand corner to allow the prospective tourist to navigate their way to the attraction. Notably missing from this map are any rivers and land or features from the surrounding states.
North Carolina State Advertising Division
This pictorial map, produced by the Tennessee Valley Authority, shows the Tennessee River Valley region with particular emphasis on the proposed work and improvements of the TVA. As the map notes, there is "no scale," nor does it include a compass rose. The map has three major parts: the diagram of the proposed dams along the top of the image, the pictorial map of Tennessee, and an inset of Great Smoky Mountain National Park in the bottom right-hand corner. Taken together, all three parts contribute to a particular understanding of the regional geography. The top diagram shows the location of proposed dams along the Tennessee River with respect to the distance from the mouth and the elevation. This is the product of the Tennessee Valley Authority's work in the region; it's mandate was to provide flood control and generate agricultural and industrial development in the region. The colors of the map serve to emphasize the area under the TVA's domain, highlighting it in a light green while the rest of the land area is a muted cornflower blue. Mountains, hills, state lines, and cities are depicted in brown; roads are white and toponyms are in black. The rivers and title of the map are dark blue. The Great Smoky Mountain inset acknowledges the growing importance of recreation and scenic tourism to the region. The National Park was newly established, and the roads linking Knoxville and Asheville, the two cities on either side of the Appalachians in this area highlight the connectivity, which should enable economic growth, of the mountainous landscape.
Composite: Paris Sheets 3-7, 10-43A, 49-51
This map of Paris is a survey conducted in conducted between 1827 and 1836. It was drawn to scale by Theodore Jacoubet and is one of the last maps of a city drawn by an architect. The map is a collection of several sheets; each sheet accounts for anticipated future infrastructural and architectural projects.
Text Page: St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Ry.
Full Title: “(Text Page to) St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Ry. Red River Valley Line through the park region ... 2 +87. Matthews, Northrup & Co., Art-Printing Works, Buffalo, N.Y.” My description: This text page advertisement from the Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway provides timetables and text convincing readers to go West. The railroad company tells readers (in the lower central part of the document) that the company’s lands in North Dakota possess “Several Million Acres of the Finest Soil in Dakota” that are “all for actual settlers…no reservation.” The advertisement asks readers, “Why not accept” a farm of your own “in this great country?” Though this rail-line was not the specific rail-line that took Theodore Roosevelt to the Little Missouri Basin, it gives a clear sense of the excitement surrounding the expansion into the western parts of the Dakota territories. In particular, it captures a “get rich quick!” mentality that caused ranchers and settlers to flood into the Dakotas. Please note: this text may not, in any traditional sense, be a map. However, the David Rumsey Collection classifies it as a "Timetable Map." Regardless of how we qualify the text, I have included it because it is a valuable resource in forming an understanding of migration and settlement of the Dakota Territory in the 1880s. Additionally, it acts as a useful supplement to the two maps in this collection that were commissioned by railway companies and made by Rand McNally, the first from 1873 and the second from 1886.
St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company.
16 p. on 1 sheet. Color. Includes timetables and text on lands for sale.
Since the resource does not depict a geographic space, it is difficult to assign a geographic scope. The text concerns Minnesota and the Dakota Territory.
History of the epidemic spasmodic cholera of Russia
This map shows how the cholera epidemic spread across the world from 1817-1831. The only cities labeled on the map are places at which cholera was recorded during the epidemic, clearly showing the impressive geographical range the epidemic reached. This map is particularly interesting because it aims to depict change over time, by including the date at which cholera was first recorded at that specific place on most of the labels. It is not initially very easy to determine where the epidemic originated and the path it took because there is no guide other than the dates, so you have to read all the labels to get a sense of the narrative that the map is telling – it is not very visually obvious. Assessing the path of transmission of a disease is key in identifying the mechanism by which it is spread, and this map is an excellent example of an attempt to better understand cholera, laying the pathway for the discovery of waterborne transmission in the next 20-30 years.
Book: "History of the epidemic spasmodic cholera of Russia :including a copious account of the disease which has prevailed in India, and which has travelled, under that name, from Asia into Europe, illustrated by numerous official and other documents, explanatory of the nature, treatment, and prevention of the malady"
Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego Counties
This is one of the 7 smaller sections of the "Cyclers' Guide and Road Book of California" book published in 1895/1896. Bike paths shown in red and labeled with abbreviations. The first abbreviation of the two tells the road condition. Conditions are: G (good), F (fair), P (poor), and V.P. (very poor). The second abbreviation is for the grade of the road. Grades include: L (level), R (rolling), H (hilly), and M (mountainous).