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Artistic reconstruction of a museum of maps with globe, framed maps, and survey instruments

MUSEUM OF PLACES & MAPS

Every map is a question.

Explore 18 exhibits about reading maps, measuring places, and tracing change. Each label includes methods, limits, and further reading.

Images are artistic reconstructions of representative maps, tools, and places. They are not photographs of accessioned Eftsona objects or functional charts for navigation. Illustrative marks are not historical documents.

GALLERY 01 · Symbols, scale & perspective

Reading the Map

A map makes choices about what to include, how to show it, and who it serves.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

PM · 001Manuscript mapHand-drawn map model PM · 002Contour linesTopographic relief model PM · 003Globe and projectionProjection comparison model PM · 004Thematic mapSubject map model PM · 005Scale and dividersMeasuring instrument model PM · 006Engraved map platePrinting process model

EXHIBIT PM · 001 / 018

Manuscript map

A map can preserve observations and a maker’s choices.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Hand-drawn map model
Period represented: Historical example
Typical setting: Archive and field
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Hand-drawn maps can combine measured positions, inherited reports, decoration, and uncertainties. Their value depends on purpose, date, scale, and the sources available to the mapmaker.

How to investigate it

Identify the maker, audience, legend, orientation, date, and any later marks; compare the drawing with independent records.

What the display cannot establish

An old map is evidence of a mapped understanding, not proof that every depicted feature existed as drawn.

Look closer: Which marks appear observed, and which might be copied from an earlier map?

Further reading: Library of Congress · Map Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 002 / 018

Contour lines

Closely spaced contours signal steeper ground.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Topographic relief model
Period represented: Nineteenth century onward
Typical setting: Landscape survey
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A contour connects points of equal elevation. The contour interval, datum, source measurements, and map scale all affect what terrain can be read from the pattern.

How to investigate it

Read the interval and datum; compare the model with a modern elevation source and field observations.

What the display cannot establish

Contours generalize a surface and may omit small cliffs, cuts, and changing human features.

Look closer: Why would two maps of the same hill show different levels of detail?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Mapping ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 003 / 018

Globe and projection

Flattening a globe changes shape, area, distance, or direction.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Projection comparison model
Period represented: Modern interpretation
Typical setting: Cartography gallery
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A projection transforms a curved surface to a plane. Different designs preserve different relationships for particular uses; none can preserve everything everywhere.

How to investigate it

Compare the same latitude, shape, distance, and area on a globe and two projection types.

What the display cannot establish

A map’s apparent size can mislead if its projection and scale are ignored.

Look closer: Which projection would you choose for a navigation route and why?

Further reading: USGS · Map Projections ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 004 / 018

Thematic map

Colors can summarize a chosen variable across space.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Subject map model
Period represented: Nineteenth century onward
Typical setting: Research and planning
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A thematic map may show population, rainfall, land use, or another measure. Its bins, time period, geographic units, and missing data shape the apparent pattern.

How to investigate it

Find the data source, date, units, legend, classification method, and boundaries used.

What the display cannot establish

A dark region does not necessarily contain the most people or establish a cause for the pattern.

Look closer: What changes if the same data is grouped into different color ranges?

Further reading: Library of Congress · Map Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 005 / 018

Scale and dividers

Map distance becomes meaningful only with a scale.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Measuring instrument model
Period represented: Historical to modern
Typical setting: Map table
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A scale converts measurements on a map to measurements on the ground. Curves, hills, projection, and changes to a scanned image complicate a simple ruler reading.

How to investigate it

Check the stated scale, original sheet dimensions, units, and whether a digital image has been resized.

What the display cannot establish

A straight-line distance does not give walking time or a navigable route.

Look closer: How would a winding road change your answer?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Map Standards ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 006 / 018

Engraved map plate

A printing plate can reproduce a map for many readers.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Printing process model
Period represented: Historical printmaking
Typical setting: Map workshop
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Printed maps could be revised, hand colored, or annotated after printing. Distinct states and editions may differ materially even when their titles match.

How to investigate it

Compare plate details, imprint, paper, edition, marginal corrections, and known copies.

What the display cannot establish

A plate cannot tell us how widely its impressions circulated or how every reader used them.

Look closer: Why might two copies from one plate disagree?

Further reading: Library of Congress · Geography and Map ↗

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GALLERY 02 · Survey, image & depth

Measuring the Earth

Every mapped line rests on observation, calculation, and a choice of precision.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

PM · 007Survey transitAngle measuring instrument model PM · 008Triangulation notebookField observation model PM · 009Aerial stereoscopePaired photograph model PM · 010Satellite imageEarth observation model PM · 011Lidar terrain modelElevation data interpretation PM · 012Coastal soundingsHydrographic chart model

EXHIBIT PM · 007 / 018

Survey transit

Surveyors measure directions to connect observed positions.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Angle measuring instrument model
Period represented: Nineteenth to twentieth century
Typical setting: Field survey
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A transit measures angles in a network of sight lines. Survey quality also depends on stable stations, repeated readings, baseline length, records, and later adjustment.

How to investigate it

Inspect field notes, station locations, calibration, dates, and repeated observations.

What the display cannot establish

A polished instrument does not establish the accuracy of any survey made with it.

Look closer: What happens if the first reference point is misplaced?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Mapping ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 008 / 018

Triangulation notebook

Field notes record measurements and corrections.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Field observation model
Period represented: Historical survey practice
Typical setting: Survey station
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Surveyors use connected observations to locate features. Raw angles and distances gain meaning through calculation, instrument information, and a defined reference system.

How to investigate it

Look for station descriptions, units, repeated measurements, dates, and later corrections.

What the display cannot establish

The illustrative marks here are not a real survey record and cannot locate a place.

Look closer: Which missing page would make the notebook difficult to interpret?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Mapping ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 009 / 018

Aerial stereoscope

Two overlapping views can reveal terrain in three dimensions.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Paired photograph model
Period represented: Twentieth century onward
Typical setting: Mapping laboratory
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Photogrammetry extracts positions and elevations from overlapping images. Camera geometry, ground control, and interpretation turn photographs into mapped features.

How to investigate it

Compare image dates, overlap, camera information, control points, and terrain seen on the ground.

What the display cannot establish

A photograph is not a current map and may hide features beneath trees or shadows.

Look closer: How could shadows alter the apparent shape of a valley?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Mapping ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 010 / 018

Satellite image

Sensors measure reflected or emitted energy across the surface.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Earth observation model
Period represented: Late twentieth century onward
Typical setting: Orbital imaging
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Satellite imagery can show coastlines, land cover, and change across time. Resolution, bands, clouds, processing, and acquisition date determine what can be inferred.

How to investigate it

Check the sensor, spectral bands, image date, spatial resolution, georeferencing, and cloud cover.

What the display cannot establish

An image alone cannot establish legal boundaries or the reason a landscape changed.

Look closer: What looks different when an image uses infrared rather than visible light?

Further reading: USGS · Landsat Missions ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 011 / 018

Lidar terrain model

Laser measurements can reconstruct a detailed surface.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Elevation data interpretation
Period represented: Contemporary method
Typical setting: Terrain survey
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Airborne lidar produces many range measurements that can be classified into ground and above-ground returns. Digital elevation products depend on sampling, processing, and ground validation.

How to investigate it

Compare point density, classification rules, vertical datum, field checks, and the date of acquisition.

What the display cannot establish

A bare-earth model cannot show everything beneath water or prove the age of a subtle earthwork.

Look closer: What kinds of features vanish when above-ground points are removed?

Further reading: USGS · 3D Elevation Program ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 012 / 018

Coastal soundings

Depth measurements help mark hazards for navigation.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Hydrographic chart model
Period represented: Historical to modern
Typical setting: Coastal waters
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Surveyors collect depth and position measurements, then compile them with shoreline and aids to navigation. The quality and age of data vary across a chart.

How to investigate it

Check the survey date, depth units, datum, source diagram, and updates before interpreting a sounding.

What the display cannot establish

Blank water between older measurements is not evidence that no hazard exists.

Look closer: What could lie between two widely spaced soundings?

Further reading: NOAA · Chart Accuracy ↗

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GALLERY 03 · Towns, names & lived landscapes

Places in Motion

Maps are dated records. Places and the ways people describe them keep changing.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

PM · 013Fire insurance mapHistoric town sheet model PM · 014Railroad route mapTransport network model PM · 015Changing riverTwo-date landscape model PM · 016Place-name gazetteerNames register model PM · 017Cultural landscapeLived landscape model PM · 018Community mapParticipatory mapping model

EXHIBIT PM · 013 / 018

Fire insurance map

A detailed sheet records buildings for a particular purpose and date.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Historic town sheet model
Period represented: Late nineteenth to twentieth century
Typical setting: Urban block
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Fire insurance maps describe materials, footprints, streets, and uses to assess risk. Repeated editions help trace change, but their categories reflect the needs of the map’s creators.

How to investigate it

Compare editions, index sheets, building symbols, city directories, and dated photographs.

What the display cannot establish

A building omitted from a sheet may have been outside coverage rather than absent from town.

Look closer: What changed between two editions, and what could be a drafting difference?

Further reading: Library of Congress · Sanborn Maps ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 014 / 018

Railroad route map

Lines on a map can show planned, operating, or abandoned routes.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Transport network model
Period represented: Nineteenth to twentieth century
Typical setting: Rail corridor
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Railroad maps often served promotion, administration, or travel. A drawn connection is a claim that should be checked against timetables, construction records, and contemporary accounts.

How to investigate it

Check the map date, legend, corporate name, depot records, right-of-way, and service timetables.

What the display cannot establish

A printed line does not prove track was built or that trains ran on it.

Look closer: How would you distinguish a proposed railway from an active one?

Further reading: Library of Congress · Map Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 015 / 018

Changing river

Watercourses can move while maps preserve former channels.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Two-date landscape model
Period represented: Historical and modern comparison
Typical setting: River corridor
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Erosion, sediment, engineering, and seasonal conditions change river landscapes. Comparing maps from different dates requires checking their survey methods and reference points first.

How to investigate it

Align stable features, survey dates, aerial images, flood records, and river measurements.

What the display cannot establish

Apparent movement could result from different mapping accuracy rather than actual channel change.

Look closer: Which fixed landmark would help align two maps?

Further reading: USGS · Topographic Mapping ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 016 / 018

Place-name gazetteer

Names can have variants, histories, and competing uses.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Names register model
Period represented: Historical to contemporary
Typical setting: Reference desk
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Official databases organize names and locations for particular purposes. Local, Indigenous, historical, and official names may coexist, and the choice of a label has consequences.

How to investigate it

Compare name records, dates, variant spellings, community usage, maps, and the decision process.

What the display cannot establish

An official entry cannot capture every community name or decide a place’s entire identity.

Look closer: Whose name appears on the map, and whose does not?

Further reading: USGS · GNIS ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 017 / 018

Cultural landscape

A place holds patterns of work, memory, and use.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Lived landscape model
Period represented: Historical and contemporary
Typical setting: Gardens, paths, buildings
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

Landscapes can include built features, vegetation, circulation, views, and meaning. Their preservation needs the history of change and the perspectives of people connected with the site.

How to investigate it

Combine maps with field observation, photographs, inventories, oral accounts, and community interpretation.

What the display cannot establish

A tidy model cannot convey all lived relationships or all phases of a landscape.

Look closer: What part of a place would disappear if only buildings were mapped?

Further reading: NPS · Cultural Landscapes ↗

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EXHIBIT PM · 018 / 018

Community map

Residents can map what matters to them.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Participatory mapping model
Period represented: Contemporary practice
Typical setting: Community workshop
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona object; image is illustrative

What this represents

A community-made map may show paths, risks, memories, resources, or boundaries absent from official sheets. Participation, consent, and control over sensitive information affect responsible use.

How to investigate it

Ask who drew the map, whom it includes, what data may be shared, and what purpose the map serves.

What the display cannot establish

One group’s map cannot speak for all residents; publishing precise sensitive locations may cause harm.

Look closer: What should remain off a public map at the community’s request?

Further reading: NPS · Mapping Cultural Landscapes ↗

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