33. Kuthing Swatow Co., 1895
[Teacup Globe]
Smith Collection: SM-1895-34
www.oshermaps.org/map/2353.0001

This Chinese pewter globe (#33), made in 1895, is a terrestrial globe that lacks much accuracy but makes a great collector’s piece. The Chinese characters on the globe label major countries, bodies of water, and continents.

The globe has a hinged lid that opens to a hollow column in the middle of the globe. Inside is a removable lidded container, also made of pewter.

This globe was originally made by the Kuthing Swatow Co. as one piece of a complete tea set. Each piece of the tea set was contained inside globes like this one. The globes contained lidded containers, cups, and even a tiny functional teapot.

Section Display, left

Section Display, right

S.A. Howland
The New England Primer: Containing the Assembly’s Catechism; the Account of the Burning of John Rogers, 1844
Osher Map Library Atlas Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/53775

Samuel Worcester
A First Book of Geography, 1831
Osher Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/3569

Oliver G. Steele
The Village School Geography, 1837
Smith Atlas Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/2203

Samuel Read Hall
The Child’s Book of Geography, 1840
Smith Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/2209

Louisa Caroline Tuthill
My Little Geography, 1847
Smith Atlas Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/2216

Sarah Sophia Cornell
Cornell’s Primary Geography, 1871
Osher Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/3679

Samuel Griswold Goodrich
A National Geography, for Schools, 1850
Osher Atlas Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/7654

Arnold Guyot
Elementary Geography for Primary Classes, 1872
Osher Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/3682

Samuel Colman
A Book for the Children of Maine, 1831
Osher Map Library Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/47456

Mr. Adams’ Seminary for Females
Catalogue of the Members of Mr. Adams’ Seminary for Females, 1834
Osher Map Library Atlas Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/53774

S. Augustus Mitchell
A Key to Mitchell’s New Outline Maps, 1875
Osher Map Library Book Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/53754

Resources

Maps of Maine

Other Collections

If you are looking for a map from a particular area, the best bet is to try a collection from that area. 

Online Resources

Interactive Map Servers (IMS)

Map Collections Online

Many map collections have some of their collection digitized and available online. Many of the collections listed above have additional links to their digital collections. The links below are more general, or highly recommended.

• Bureau of Land Management from the U.S. Department of the Interior 
  • BLM Weekly Story Maps
• Library of Congress Online Map Collections
• National Geologic Map Database –
• Old Maps Online – This site can be particularly helpful if you are looking for a map of a particular place. You can set the search for the area you are looking for and narrow it down by time frame as well.
• USGS Topographic Maps 

Cartographic and Geographic Reference Resources

• History of Cartography Project
• List of web references from the Library of Congress

GIS Resources

• Cornell Libraries – Links to GIS Data & Maps
  • Cornell Libraries have a great website with Links to GIS Data & Maps, arranged by geographic location
• Cornell Libraries – Links to GIS Resources
  • Links to general GIS resources from the Cornell Libraries website
• NYU Spatial Data Repository – 

Section 4. Games: Modern Trains

Most of the board games here represent the advancement of riding the rails: fast, comfortable and streamlined. Names like “Silver Streak” and “Rocket” conjured up speed. “Sunset Limited” and “The 20th Century Limited” had this type of designation because they were overnight trains with few stops along the way which was an advantage for a business traveler.

Milton Bradley Co., The Streamline Express Game, 1936.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/36886

Rexall, Streamline Train Game, 1936.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/36922

Milton Bradley Co., Railroad Game, 1940.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/36887

Milton Bradley Co., Sunset Limited, 1920.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/37011

The “Chad Valley” Games, The Silver Streak, 1930.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/36920

Milton Bradley Co., Golden State Limited, 1935.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/36983

Milton Bradley Co., The 20th Century Limited, 1925.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/37035

Parker Brothers, Inc., Rocket, 1937.
Osher Artifact Collection.
www.oshermaps.org/map/37055

44. [William Hunter’s journal]

William Hunter was a U.S. infantryman in the 79th Division, which famously encountered some of the fiercest fighting and most formidable fortifications of the Western Front during the capture of Montfaucon and Nantillois, the most difficult operation of the Meuse-Argonne campaign. Hunter’s regiment, the 315th, fought alongside the 316th in the capture of Nantillois under intense artillery fire by the Germans and without the support of their own artillery brigade. Partway through the operation, the commander of the 316th sent an urgent message to his superior, reading “Being fired at point blank by field pieces. For God’s sake get artillery or we’ll be annihilated.” By the end of the day, half of the 315th regiment were dead, injured, or missing. Nevertheless, they accomplished their objective and took Nantillois, despite having had almost no food or rest for days.

Like many World War I soldiers, Will saved mementos from his time on the front, including a poem written to his mother, a list of items he had on his person, discharge papers, and even a Christmas card written by the commander of the 79th, Major General Joseph Kuhn. Will also kept a diary in which he recorded his experiences on the front lines. His entries for the days of the Battle of Montfaucon include chilling descriptions of the deaths of comrades-in-arms, including one man who was killed by a “shell [that] tore his intestines right out” and another who was “killed… by a grenade he was carrying.” On September 29, Will describes going over the top while under fire from German “automatics.” When two of his companions, Robbins and Snyder, were shot in the legs, Will carried Snyder back to safety.

While he doesn’t mention rations, Will’s accounts of his sleeping arrangements each evening provide a clear picture of how tired the men of the 315th must have been. On September 26, he reports that he “laid in [a] shell hole all night with shells breaking all around, expecting any minute for one to come in.” Two evenings later, he “dug in for the night… and woke up in 3 inches of water.”

44. [William Hunter’s journal]
William Hunter, 1918
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49785

45. [William Hunter’s picture]

45. [William Hunter’s picture]
[Unknown Photographer], 1917
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49786

46. [William Hunter’s poem]

46. [William Hunter’s poem]
William Hunter, 1918
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49788

47. [William Hunter’s discharge papers]

47. [William Hunter’s discharge papers]
American Expeditionary Forces, 1919
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49788

48. [William Hunter’s list of “junk”]

48. [William Hunter’s list of “junk”]
William Hunter, 1918
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49788

49. [79th Division Christmas Card]

49. [79th Division Christmas Card]
Joseph Kuhn, 1918
Courtesy Stuart Hunter
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/49788

50. European War 1914

This notebook contains essays on the “European War” written by Dr. Frank Crane, a speaker and former minister who wrote countless articles throughout his career, eventually publishing a ten-volume set of his “Four Minute Essays.” In this handwritten manuscript, Crane analyzes the initial causes of hostility in Europe, the significant events in the war as it progressed, and America’s role and responsibility in the conflict.

50. European War 1914
Dr. Frank Crane, 1914-18
OML Collection
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/11595

51. [Map of France with top and bottom torn away showing battle-lines of WWI]

This map shows the action and the positions held by the Allied and Central Powers from the first German advance in 1914 to near the end of the war in 1918. Towns in the east that were captured by the German Army are circled in red, and dates of capture are shown for the major towns. The solid light blue line that extends from Belgium past Amiens and south toward Paris represents the limit of the German advance up to the the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. The blue dotted line is the Allied position in February 1915, six months after the beginning of the war. The purple solid line corresponds to the Allied lines before the German offensive on March 21st, 1918. The purple dotted and dashed line and dashed line is the position of the Allies after the German offensive to July, 1918. The various red lines represent the positions of the German Army during the same phases of the war. On the verso of the map is a signature presumably of the map’s original owner and the date 1918. From the map’s condition and from viewing similar maps in other collections, we believe this map was printed in Europe.

51. [Map of France with top and bottom torn away showing battle-lines of WWI]
[Unknown Author], 1918
Rice Collection
URL: www.oshermaps.org/map/43190

25. Hall School: Before the Renovation

 
“Hall School: Before the Renovation”
Delia C. of Portland, Maine
Fred P. Hall Elementary

26. Dover-Foxcroft Zoo

 
“Dover-Foxcroft Zoo”
Kiernan S. of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Sedomocha Middle School

27. Chebeague Island Map

 
“Chebeague Island Map”
Jack H. of Chebeague Island, Maine
North Yarmouth Academy

28. Central New Jersey

 
“Central New Jersey”
Carmello B. of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth Middle School

25. Hall School: Before the Renovation

 
“Hall School: Before the Renovation”
Delia C. of Portland, Maine
Fred P. Hall Elementary

26. Dover-Foxcroft Zoo

 
“Dover-Foxcroft Zoo”
Kiernan S. of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Sedomocha Middle School

27. Chebeague Island Map

 
“Chebeague Island Map”
Jack H. of Chebeague Island, Maine
North Yarmouth Academy

28. Central New Jersey

 
“Central New Jersey”
Carmello B. of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth Middle School

25. Hall School: Before the Renovation

 
“Hall School: Before the Renovation”
Delia C. of Portland, Maine
Fred P. Hall Elementary

26. Dover-Foxcroft Zoo

 
“Dover-Foxcroft Zoo”
Kiernan S. of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Sedomocha Middle School

27. Chebeague Island Map

 
“Chebeague Island Map”
Jack H. of Chebeague Island, Maine
North Yarmouth Academy

28. Central New Jersey

 
“Central New Jersey”
Carmello B. of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth Middle School

Outline

• 2016 Illustrated Mapmaking Contest
  • Top Ten Maps
  • Story Places
  • Humorous
  • Maps of the Past
  • International Flags & Countries
  • Close to Home
  • Buildings & Monuments
  • Sports Maps
  • Plants & Animals
  • State Maps
  • USA Maps
  • Earth Maps
  • Imaginary Lands
  • Indexes

12. Old School Portland

 
“Old School Portland”
Arianna Z. of Buxton, Maine
Buxton Center Elementary School

Top Ten!

13. Pangea and its Prehistoric Wildlife

 
“Pangea and its Prehistoric Wildlife”
Kodi Q. of Anson, Maine
Homeschool

14. Native American Tribal Regions

 
“Native American Tribal Regions”
Lucy R. of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth Middle School

15. Historical Map of the United States

 
“Historical Map of the United States”
Margaret G. of St. George, Maine
St. George School

16. Discoveries of America: Erikkson & Columbus

 
“Discoveries of America: Erikkson & Columbus”
Quinn T. of Topsham, Maine
Homeschool

17. Once Upon a Time

 
“Once Upon a Time”
Tenley of Portland, Maine
Reiche Elementary School

Outline

• 2016 Illustrated Mapmaking Contest
  • Top Ten Maps
  • Story Places
  • Humorous
  • Maps of the Past
  • International Flags & Countries
  • Close to Home
  • Buildings & Monuments
  • Sports Maps
  • Plants & Animals
  • State Maps
  • USA Maps
  • Earth Maps
  • Imaginary Lands
  • Indexes

Nansenbushu bankoku shoka no zu

This map was made by the Buddhist monk, Zuda Rokashi, also known as Rokashi Hotan, who updated Buddhist cartography to include Europe and America. Previous Buddhist maps did not include the West at all, and Africa, the small island in the western sea, is called, “Land of Western Women.” Although there were a few Eurocentric maps floating around in Japan at the time, Rokashi clearly did not copy them. Lake Anavatapta is depicted prominently in the center, as it was believed to be the place where Queen Maya first envisioned the Buddha and the center of the universe. This map represents the author’s reconciliation between contemporary geography and Buddhist culture, which persisted in Japan during the Edo, against European, Neo-Confucian and Nativist cosmologies. In the top left corner is Rokashi’s list of the many works he consulted. Although it includes encyclopedias, histories, commentaries, Buddhist sutras, Chinese dynastic histories, dictionaries, geographic compendia, literary works and gazetteers, it does not name one very certain source; a seventeenth-century version of a fourteenth-century painting of the journey of Xuanzang. Xuanzang was a Chinese pilgrim who traveled through India and Central Asia during the seventh century, and recorded his experiences in the Great Tang Record of the Western Regions. The fourteenth-century painting is the earliest known Japanese world map. The seventeenth-century map is an updated version, which relied heavily on a Ming encyclopedia and Japanese editions of Matteo Ricci’s maps of Europe. Rokashi’s title translates to “A Map of the Myriad Countries of Jambudvipa Like a Fruit Held in the Hand.” “Fruit Held in the Hand” is a Buddhist phrase, meaning something that is simple to understand. Rokashi asserted, “If Buddhist scholars do not examine this map when they consult the sutras, their investigations will be incomplete.”

Kal Tsu Shou Kou, Woodblock Print, 1708

[Western Japan , Seto Inland Sea]

This Japanese scroll stretches over twenty feet, detailing the coasts and landscapes, castles, shrines and towns. Japanese maps tended to be much larger than European maps of the same era. Many of them were designed to be laid out on wooden floor mats. Created for the purpose of tracking economic activity by region, it notes the annual taxes for each community. It also notes Nagasaki as the only port available to Dutch and Chinese traders. This hand drawn map was crafted in the traditional, pictorial style, known during this period as ezu; the mountains, rolling hills, villages, fortresses, temples, are highly stylized.

Anonymous, Manuscript, 1814

Chikyu Bankoku Sankai Yochi Zenzu

In 1602, Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit missionary, presented a hand-drawn map of the world to the Wanli Emperor of China. Almost two centuries later, in 1785 Sekisui Nagakubo, a Japanese scholar, drew his own version. Not only was it one of the first world maps published in Japan, it was also one of the most influential, and soon became the source for many other Japanese maps. The revolutionary use of latitude and longitude transformed Japanese mapmaking thereafter. Small versions were printed and circulated through the popular market, but large hand-drawn manuscripts were sold to the wealthy for large sums. Seii Sato, author of this derivation, declared in the top margin, “Since people doubt if the earth is really a sphere, to prove it, this map was drawn as if looking at the globe from a high place.” This is an example of the chokan-zuho technique, or “bird’s-eye view,” a perspective we are quite familiar with in the west. The map continues to describe the world and all its people. Nagakubo kept most of the descriptions in Ricci’s words, however, he did not not include one about the Japanese people, which read, “The Japanese are warriors giving great importance to weapons, but don’t appreciate intellectual activities.”

Seii Sato, Manuscript, 1821

[Japanese World Map]

Another derivation of Nagakubo’s manuscript, this hand-colored engraving was produced during the final years of the Edo Period. For a complete translation visit the following link: https://oshermaps.org/exhibitions/map-commentaries/world-map-explanations-lands-and-oceans

Kanoku Yochi Sankai Zusetsu, Engraving, 1850.

Suhara-Ya Edo, Japan

During the end of the Edo Period, Rangaku, or “Dutch Learning,” dominated Japanese art and science. This map exemplifies the union of Japanese traditional printmaking and Dutch cartography. The latter half of the Edo Period is known as the Bakumatsu Era, when traditional feudal authorities resisted the increasing western influence, creating a tense social division. This map is made up of individual woodcut prints on rice paper, layered together for durability. It represents the historical, social and political characteristics of the Bakumatsu era. At the center of Edo, present-day Tokyo, three chrysanthemum flowers mark the emperor’s throne. The flower is a symbol of the head of state and the Japanese legal authority. Within the central living quarters, there is a Western circle called nishinomaru. The royal living quarters are surrounded by a group of mansions, called the daimyo-koji, or “warlord ally.” The relationship between spatial orientation and hierarchy is very clear, as all of the surrounding structures face the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Yamashiroya Masakichi and Fujiya Kichizo, Woodblock Print, 1854.

Outline

 

• Traditional Japanese Cartography of the Edo Period
• Traditional Japanese Maps