Digital Maps and Geospatial Data | Princeton University

This layer is a georeferenced image of a map of Persia and Afghanistan originally created by A.K. Johnston in 1861. The original map appears in The Royal Atlas Of Modern Geography Exhibiting, In A Series Of Entirely Original And Authentic Maps, The Present Condition Of Geographical Discovery And Research In The Several Countries, Empires, And States Of The World By Alexander Keith Johnston ... With A Special Index To Each Map. William Blackwood And Sons, Edinburgh And London. MDCCCLXI." The historic map layers in the Google Earth Rumsey Map Collection have been selected by David Rumsey from his large collection of historical maps, as well as some from other collections with which he collaborates. All the maps contain rich information about the past and represent a sampling of time periods, scales, and cartographic art, resulting in visual history stories that only old maps can tell. Each map has been georeferenced by Rumsey, thus creating unique digital map images that allow the old maps to appear in their correct places on the modern globe. Some of the maps fit perfectly in their modern spaces, while othersgenerally earlier period mapsreveal interesting geographical misconceptions of their time. Cultural features on the maps can be compared to the modern satellite views using the slider bars to adjust transparency. The result is an exploration of time as well as space, a marriage of historic cartographic masterpieces with innovative contemporary software tools.