3 messages:
 
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>Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 16:00:15 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Cathy Moulder <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: What exactly is a Sanborn map? <fwd> (fwd)
 
 
Hi Yaives
  In Canada, these are called "fire insurance plans" and most were created
by the Charles Goad company.  They are very detailed maps of urban areas,
showing each individual property and its material of construction.  They
were originally done (late 1800s) for the purpose of assessing fire risk.
So insurance underwriters would look at these maps and assess the risk of
urban fire, not just in their customers building but in all the
surrounding buildings as well.  Nowadays, they are used for historical
research and they are a wonderful source of detailed urban history.
 
Here are two sources where you can find out more about fire insurance
plans:
 
Marcel Fortin, Lorraine Dubreuil and Cheryl Woods, "Canadian Fire
Insurance Plans in Ontario Collections, 1876-1973" (Association of
Canadian Map Libraries and Archives, Occasional Papers #5, 1995)
 
Cathy Moulder, Fire Insurance Plans as a Data Source in Urban Research: An
Annotated Bibliography of Examples", Art Reference Service Quarterly vol.
1 #3, 1993
 
---------------------------
Cathy Moulder, Curator          Phone: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24745
Lloyd Reeds Map Collection      FAX: (905) 546-0625
McMaster University             [log in to unmask]
Hamilton, Ontario  L8S 4L6
 
 
 
--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 06:10:51 -0400
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: What exactly is a Sanborn map?
 
 
>Hello,
 
>I suscribed to this list about one month ago and I read some e-messages
>with mention of 'sanborn map'; even one refered to 'fire map'. Nothing
>in
>current English dictionaries, neither in map library (cartotheque)
>here, a
>canadian french-speaking university. Is it a kind of map (about
>fires?)  or
>a trade mark of map-maker? I seems so obvious for some US colleagues
>of the
>list, that maybe there is available documentation, books or websites
>about
>sanborn maps.
 
>Thank You for instructive details.
 
 
>Yaives Ferland
 
>Land Law Lab
>Centre for Research in Geomatics
>Universite Laval, Quebec
 
 
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From: Jorge Gonzalez <[log in to unmask]>
 
The Sanborn map collection consists of a series of maps dating from
1860's to almost present day that depict the commercial, industrial, and
residential section of around 12,000 cities and towns in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico.  The maps were designed to help fire insurance agents
in determing the degree of damage to a property and show the size, shape
and constructions of all buildings and dwellings, as well as fire walls,
windows, sprinklers systems and roof types.  The maps showed street
names, property boundaries and house and block numbers.  Also water
mains, hydrants and alarm boxes.
 
Jorge A. Gonzalez
Archivist
Science and Map Cataloging
 
 
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I received the following information on another list.  The book mentioned
gives some history of Fire Insurance Maps, including Sanborn maps.  I'm
just passing on this information, I haven't actually seen the book (we
have it on order).
 
"Fire Insurance Maps, Their History and Applications," from Lacewing
Press is an informative addition for any library with print or microfilm
versions of fire insurance maps. The book has been very well reviewed in
the library cartographic community, by the California Map Society and the
Midwest Book Review.
 
Order by sending a P.O. for  $9.95 per book plus $2.00 shipping (Orders
outside the U.S. e-mail for pricing)  to Lacewing Press 15889 Woodlake
Drive, College Station, TX 77845.
(Note: many distributors will order it from the publisher as well).
 
"Fire Insurance Maps, Their History and Applications," by Diane L.
Oswald.   College Station, TX :  Lacewing Press, 1998.
 ISBN: 0-9659698-0-0   Retail $9.95,  Pages 102.
 
*******************************************************************
Doralyn H. Edwards            phone: (713)737-5691
GIS/Data Librarian            fax:   (713)285-5902
Fondren Library               work: http://www.rice.edu/Fondren/GDC
Rice University, Houston, TX  personal: http://is.rice.edu/~doralyn
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