-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Giant Sanborn map collection messages SUMMARY
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:02:33 -0400
From: Edward James Redmond <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maphist <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>
References: <[log in to unmask]>
A few thoughts (and perhaps an answer?) on the topic. (Many of those on maps-l and maphist have sizeable Sanborn holdings and are likely already familiar with this information so bear with me....)
1) A question was posed by a researcher (who has visited many of our institutions) about a set of maps produced by the Sanborn Map Company that was transferred from the Census Bureau's Jefferson, Indiana office to the National Archives. Supposedly this batch of maps numbered over 500,000 and included revisions to the 1980s. According to this researcher Census Bureau staff indicated that these maps were transferred to NARA but NARA says they do not hold the items.
2) I can add that LC was not contacted or is aware of any 500,000 sheet potential transfer. As many of you know, LC holds approximately 700,000 map sheets published by the Sanborn Map Company and its antecedents. Our loose sheet maps were primarily acquired as copyright deposits (between 1880 and 1950) at the time of each sheet's publication. In 1967 LC acquired an additional 1,899 bound Sanborn atlases from the Bureau of the Census. These folios are revised to the early 1950s and were used by Census Bureau staff.
3) In addition to these large folios, LC also acquired approximately 600 reduced size volumes covering major cities only that are revised to the late 1950s with a few cities are revised as late as 1981. These were received as copyright deposits.
4) In 1991 LC received a second transfer from the Census Bureau of 400 reduced size volumes revised to the mid 1970s covering major cities.
These are spiral bound in black vinyl portfolios and all are stamped
"Return to Census Bureau, Jeffersonville, Indiana." These items were sent directly from Census to LC. (Assuming an average of 100 pages per volume that is approximately 40,000 sheets.)
With regard to the commercial subscription database entitled "Digital Sanborn Maps" (http://sanborn.umi.com and may require instituonal access) , the database was created from a microfilm version of the LC collection. In the mid 1980s Chadwyck Healey, Inc. microfilmed our then 660,000 sheet collection and then sold duplicate copies of microfilm reels to institutions around the country. More recently, Chadwyck Healey was absorbed by ProQuest, Inc. who then created the subscription database based on the microfilm version of the LC collection. LC still holds the physical map sheets and volumes. The items described in #3 and #4 above are not part of the micrifilm version of the LC collection or part of the commercial subscription database.
Finally, it is certainly plausible that the Census Bureau once held sheets with 1980 revision dates but these items may actually be those described in the 1991 transfer (#4 above) from Census to LC....
Ed
Ed Redmond
Geography & Map Reference Specialist
Geography and Map Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540-4651
(202) 707-8548
[log in to unmask]
-------------------------------------------
The views expressed in this message are solely mine
and do not necessarily represent those of the Library of Congress.
>>> Maps-L Moderator <[log in to unmask]> Thursday, April 09, 2009 8:58 AM >>>
forwarded from MapHist - seems to conflict with what Phil just said ...
the mystery continues?
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [MapHist] Giant Sanborn map collection missing?
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 21:34:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: Herschel Kanter <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To:
To:
The Sanborn maps belong to the Library of Congress which has turned them
over to ProQuest to be digitized. Obviously someone from LOC and/or
Proquest can give more detail.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr016.html
"Today, fire insurance maps are used for a wide variety of research
purposes including genealogy, urban history and geography, historical
preservation, and environmental studies. The Library accumulated its
unsurpassed collection of fire insurance maps primarily through
copyright deposit. In addition, the Bureau of the Census transferred a
set of maps updated with pasted-on corrections through to the mid-1950s
to the Library of Congress in 1967."
http://sanborn.umi.com/HelpFiles/about.html
*Scope of the Collection*
*Digital Sanborn Maps* was created from ProQuest Information and
Learning's microfilm collection of 660,000 Sanborn Maps, which were
filmed from the Library of Congress' collection. The Library's Sanborn
collection includes all maps submitted to the Library through copyright
deposit and a set of maps transferred to the Library from the Bureau of
the Census. Maps from the Bureau of the Census include corrections
issued by the Sanborn Company that were pasted over the original map
sheet. Maps acquired through copyright deposit remain in their original
form.
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