Where we used to live – new website of maps from the past launched

“The broadest single collection of historical maps from around the world is now available online. The JISC-funded Old Maps Online, described by its creators as like Google for old maps,  will act as a central repository to a vast collection of maps held by institutions across the globe.  It is the first time that access to such an extensive collection has been made available online. Paola Marchionni, programme manager at JISC, said: ‘Maps have great potential to engage not only professional historians but also students and the amateur public. But they have previously been difficult to access because you need so much detail about what you are looking for... By customising existing technology Old Maps Online makes it easy for everybody to find and compare maps through time in a highly visual way without the need for specialist knowledge...’ The site incorporates access to collections at the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Moravian Library in the Czech Republic and the prestigious David Rumsey Collection in California. Adam Farquhar, head of digital scholarship at the British Library, said: ‘The Old Maps Online project brings together our cartographic heritage digitally in one place. It supports both researchers and the wider public...’ Other collections to be added later this year include those from Harvard University, the New York Public Library, the National Library of Wales, the Bodleian Library at Oxford and several major European libraries.”