OpenHistoricalMap/Resources

This page provides a list of resources that may be of value to historic mappers. Things listed here should have licenses that permit use for Open Data projects. Items found within the list may be Maps, Drawings, Images, Moving Images, Text, Records, Series, and Virtual Collections.

Cool Base Layers

Copy these into ID's Custom Layer when editing:

• NLS example - http://geo.nls.uk/maps/towns/haddington1893/{zoom}/{x}/{-y}.png
• Mapwarper - anything from the http://www.mapwarper.net Export tab.

Online Historical Map sources

• Sanborn Maps - (USA) Detailed fire insurance maps are out of copyright over 97 years old from Library of Congress.
  • Workflow for efficiently georeferencing Sanborn maps using modern parcel geometry
  • Adam Cox’s Sanborn Maps project
• Many university map libraries have online collections
  • Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection (UTexas)
• David Rumsey Map collection
• United States Geological Survey Historical Maps online
• Ghosts of DC https://ghostsofdc.org/
• AllMaps Project

OSM imagery sources

Main article: Open Historical Map/Imagery

Several imagery sources are listed by default for ID and JOSM. We are currently working on clarifying whether they can be used for mapping in OHM (Github ticket). The use cases for modern imagery are limited but there are times when they can be valuable. The status of each provider is listed below:

• Mapbox - OHM has permission
• ESRI World Imagery - discussions are positive and ongoing, but not yet resolved
• Bing - working on it

Worldwide

• Old Maps Online - a directory to maps in various repositories around the world. Each repository may have different rights and licenses associated

Asia

Vietnam

• South Vietnam: Official Standard Names Approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names – place names during the Vietnam War / prior to reunification, with coordinates

Europe

The Netherlands

• https://www.topotijdreis.nl/ - historic maps, non-commercial open data license
• https://code.waag.org/buildings/ - buildings and addresses, non-commercial open data license

France

• Inrap (institut national de recherches archeologiques préventives)
• https://remonterletemps.ign.fr/telecharger - historical aerial imagery and maps, the images from the "télécharger" (download) section can be used
• POP : la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine.

Germany

• Housetrails (Baugeschichte) – building histories, permission to cite

North America

Canada

Library and Archives Canada

Native Americans - First Nations

National archives

• US National Archives
  • US Post Office locations
  • US Census Enumeration Maps
• USGS Topo View - topographic maps of the US. Government produced/public domain
• USGS Earth Explorer - library of digitized aerial photographs of the US in the 20th century
• Library of Congress
• US Department of the Interior
  • National Mine Map Repository

Regional archives

• Boston Public Library Leventhal Map & Education Center provides many georeferenced maps
• NYPL Map and Atlas Collection - NYPL uses mapwarper so TMS URLs are available for each geo-referenced map. Much of the NYPL collection comes up using Old Maps Online (see above)
• North Carolina Maps provides a large number of historic maps of NC from the State Archives of North Carolina, the North Carolina Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Outer Banks History Center. The maps are not georeferenced.

State archives

• Washington State Archives - Washington State Archives - Digital Archives - Secretary of State
• Kentucky City Database – Kentucky Land Office database containing dates of incorporation and boundary changes