I thought I'd share this link from the Library of Congress (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pmhtml/panmap.html). I've had these in bookform for the longest time and just found out they're on the interwebber. It's a collection of old plates (c. 1870s-1920s) with bird's eye views of a whole range of places, big and small. Some of them are mediocre, some are absolutely stellar.
I took out some snippets for your viewing pleasure:
Chicago:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fchicago1.jpg&hash=80105ad0c5142059821495221661ca65ffc7c5d1)
Atlanta:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fatlanta2.jpg&hash=25c5467af713ba4845b80570dc4a633e5485e1d8)
Baltimore:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fbaltimore.jpg&hash=3d6a62a61e1c300180ea50272d1db25e17797285)
Portland, OR:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fportland.jpg&hash=6b8738d59f19682af050cc131df9da4d32cb45ea)
Cincinnati (railroads!!):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fcincinnati.jpg&hash=76cc3679f26aa40a86d2edacd02a693fdcc792e4)
Houston; notice the streetcars:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fhouston.jpg&hash=bba4db1ff8970697c5a47f81d950bbae2ab6e00e)
Los Angeles:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fla.jpg&hash=b72b7c9e4b422c502a63f384f6911045b1524501)
Atlantic City:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fac.jpg&hash=9793b7bd47a16b9bfb24897f6c262f587d632a07)
St Paul:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fstpaul.jpg&hash=0254e2404e699035cb079bee6be32ccf5a3aec4c)
Pittsburgh:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fpittsburgh.jpg&hash=25417b9dc1cf85a531c03aa79e10c7e4f1f7aa58)
Seattle:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fseattle.jpg&hash=b2d3ca84d228fded76fe4d65d7a70d48a8943c00)
Even Antwerp, New York is represented. No cathedral there, though:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fantwerp.jpg&hash=e879f9bf45cc3a91601da389a00c41b3233892fd)
One you must check out is the 1922 Allentown plate. At 22,000 pixels wide it is incredibly detailed.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.majhost.com%2Fgallery%2Fswm666%2FVarious%2Fplates%2Fallentown.jpg&hash=7c02733125b6cfed087a6bd17cc80e27e17fa1cd)
I'll stop before I post them all here :D You can download every image fully in JP2 format. Most of them are fairly big but well worth if you're interested in some older city views.
Cheers
Willy
Great images! the changes through time are amazing... L.A. looks almost bucolic on that plate.
This is an awesome find! Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
Thanks for sharing! It's incredible how much has changed. Can't wait for PSC to get to those times :)
Pretty cool find indeed. :thumbsup:
Gonna bookmark that for future browsing.
Also reminded me of the citybook, created by Frederick de Wit ca 1698 which depicts Dutch and Belgium cities around that time. A few examples.
's-Hertogenbosch - my hometown. I live near the citygate in the upperleft corner. The gate itself and windmills are long gone but the citywall along the water is still there. In fact I walk over it a few times a week when going to the supermarket. For a sense of scale (or lack of it ;)) the large churche in the middle of the city is the St. John's Cathedral (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Cathedral_%28%27s-Hertogenbosch%29)
*click for full size*
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kb.nl%2Fbladerboek%2Fstedenboek%2Fbrowse%2Fimages%2Flarge%2Fpl076.jpg&hash=6644a0a2423f1e95733516ee7c5c93c107d378d3)
Antwerpen - I'm sure Willy will recognize it! :)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kb.nl%2Fbladerboek%2Fstedenboek%2Fbrowse%2Fimages%2Flarge%2Fpl071.jpg&hash=c9a53d9c7fc8e48259d29b69c1402250b76cbe58)
Den Haag - were to this day the Dutch goverment resides at the Binnenhof.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kb.nl%2Fbladerboek%2Fstedenboek%2Fbrowse%2Fimages%2Flarge%2Fpl035.jpg&hash=4d2a3a8b9523acbe23ffb5fafdea623dec0262b3)
Geraardsbergen - just looks pretty.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kb.nl%2Fbladerboek%2Fstedenboek%2Fbrowse%2Fimages%2Flarge%2Fpl102.jpg&hash=d8b43ec3b3347930b5c18d45a5d88bfc989d2d2e)
Anyway, you can browse the complete book either by city - linkie (http://www.kb.nl/bladerboeken/stedenboek) - or by individual page - linkie (http://www.kb.nl/bladerboek/stedenboek/browse/index_1.html). Note when you've selected a page, click the link that says 'PopUp' to view in proper size.
Such a beautiful book.
I stumbled across it when I was in New York a few years ago. Didn't buy it because it was to large and heavy. I decided to find it on amazon instead, but forget the titel, which I found on the page linked to. Thank you for reminding me, Swordmaster!
I love them, thank you for posting the links, having looked at them a few times now I think my favorite is Pittsburgh, but the ones that they have added the
the people as well are a close second
()stsfd()
-catty
Hey Vortext, sure I recognize it. I have a similar map hanging in my living room. It takes a while to get oriented but overall many streets are left in place. I can see my street, too. ;)
Cheers
Willy
I loved it and would love to see more posted here. ;)
I could look at those sort of images for hours.
Robin :thumbsup:
Here is two old maps of Copenhagen from 1761:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi40.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe242%2Fvester_DK%2FDiv%2Fkort.jpg&hash=9327039c0c8357218190f70f071d6927d8859b98)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi40.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe242%2Fvester_DK%2FDiv%2FCopenhagen1761_zpsf12a3efc.jpg&hash=987089d464629c9803cabcd50db4173fd3a3bf38)
The last one you can check out further on www.kbh1761.dk (http://www.kbh1761.dk/index.php/en/)
You could zoom in on Christiansborg Castle and the stock exchange:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi40.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe242%2Fvester_DK%2FDiv%2FCopenhagen1761z5_zpsd523d097.jpg&hash=55610aa2593ccc7378f1e68d661bd55aecf39799)
Great topic Willy! I really enjoy the style of pics and it's fascinating to look back at what familiar (and unfamiliar) cities looked like in the past. Don't know that I recognize anything from Chicago but the water features and Grant Park covered with rail yards :D I think St. Paul and Pittsburgh are my favorites. Someone should make an MD update including an illustration of their city in this style....
Lovely additions Erik & Arne :thumbsup:
It's always a pleasure to look at historical images of cities.
Espeially the Dutch book is useful for my RL jobs. Thanks and please continue the fun!