About Map Collections
Maps are powerful primary sources that reveal how people have understood, organized, and represented the world at different points in time. Historical maps can show changes in borders, population, land use, transportation, and settlement patterns, offering visual evidence that complements written records.
Researchers use map collections to trace historical developments, compare geographic perspectives, and study how maps have been used to inform, persuade, or shape public understanding. Many libraries and archives have digitized portions of their map collections, making it possible to explore rare cartographic materials online.
Find Maps in the EMU Library
Michigan Maps
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Michigan County Histories and AtlasesAn online collection of 428 Michigan county histories and atlases.
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Sanborn Insurance Maps - Michigan This link opens in a new window
Detailed historical town and city maps from 1880s to 1950s
Subjects: Historic Preservation, Local History, Geography, Genealogy
United States Maps
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Atlas of Historical County BoundariesDocuments boundary changes in all 50 states through 2000.
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Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United StatesInteractive maps documenting the natural environment, settlement and migration, geographical boundaries, military history, and more.
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Sanborn Insurance MapsOffers a continually updated, searchable checklist with links to digitized fire insurance maps dating from 1867. These depict building-level details for thousands of cities and towns, supporting research on urban development, property history, and local communities.
World Maps
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American Geographical Society Library Digital Map CollectionMore than 20,000 digitized historical maps ranging from early Asian cartography to detailed maps of Wisconsin and American national parks.
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David Rumsey Map CollectionBrowse more than 100,000 map images from the 1500's through the present.
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Harvard Map Collection - Scanned MapsScanned maps and atlases from Harvard Library's collection.
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Historical Map Archive (Index Site)Includes historical maps on every continent from pre-1700 to mid-1900s.
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John Carter Brown Library Map CollectionHigh-resolution images of cartographic materials, including separately issued maps and maps found in books that document the early Americas and related regions.
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Library of Congress - Map CollectionsGateway to the Library of Congress' extensive digitized map holdings.
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New York Public Library Map CollectionOffers one of the world’s premier cartographic collections of maps, atlases, and related resources spanning the 1500s to the present.
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Old Maps OnlineBrings together more than 500,000 digitized historical maps from libraries and archives worldwide and lets you search by place and time using an interactive map and timeline.
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Osher Map LibraryBrowse maps, atlases, globes, and related cartographic materials from the fifteenth century to the present with online exhibits.
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Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) Historical Map CollectionDigitized historical atlases and map sets—such as the Cambridge Modern History Atlas, Shepherd’s Historical Atlas, and U.S. Army Map Service series—with links to browse and download maps by period, place, or theme.
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Persuasive Maps: The PJ Mode CollectionMore than 1,200 digitized maps designed to influence beliefs, with detailed collector’s notes and tools to browse by date subject creator and more.