Maps and Atlases

A Map of New-England, wood engraving, Boston: John Foster, 1677. Catalog record

The Society's collection of approximately 10,000 maps focuses primarily on North America, although there are maps representing all parts of the world. The strengths of the collection are maps of New England from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and, more specifically, maps of Massachusetts. 

Access

All maps printed before 1820 have been cataloged in the General Catalog. Follow the link in each General Catalog record to view an image of each map.

All manuscript maps, which range in date from 1672 to 1945 have also been cataloged in the General Catalog. Follow the link in each General Catalog record to view an image of each map.

The Society also has a collection of pocket maps which were intended to be carried and used during travel. These maps fold neatly into a leather or paperboard binding. This collection has been cataloged in the General Catalog. Links in the General Catalog to scanned images are available for a portion of the collection

The atlas collection consists of about 650 volumes, dating from the late sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. Although there are many world atlases, the focus of the collection is atlases of the United States, particularly New England. There are atlases designed for school use as well as folio volumes devoted to maps of particular states, counties, and cities. The entire collection has been cataloged in the General Catalog.

Resources

A small sample (137) of the Society's pre-1800 maps are included in ARGO: American Revolutionary Geographies Online, a new project led by the Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library and the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.