Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Why are maps rich primary sources? Historical maps are full of information.
This Fire insurance map by engineer Charles Goad shows how the Wholesale District of Old Montreal changed dramatically on the 23rd of January, 1901. Plotting the start, spread, and destructive impact of the fire, this map shows what businesses were lost, the extent of the damage, and what kinds of enterprises were in the area at the time. Fish warehouses, Paper warehouses, Fancy Goods and Woodenware, and Fur vaults - all of these were going about business as usual on January twenty-second, and were all gone, smoldering ruins, on January twenty-fourth.
Maps also show snapshots of human-built environments and the changing urban landscape. Fire insurance plans like GOADs’ in particular give detailed information on the human occupation of built spaces. Maps are also of interest from a print history perspective, showcasing changes and innovations in drafting, engraving, and large-scale printing.
You can find print maps in our library collections in our online catalog, by going to “advanced search” and choosing “map” in the dropdown Format menu, combined with a place name like “Montreal” as a keyword in SOFIA. With an emphasis on Montreal, the province of Quebec, and Canada, Rare Books and Special Collections holds historical maps and atlases, dating from 1556 to 1940.
Print maps, particularly historical folded maps, can be quite fragile. Handling them with extreme care is required, with clean, dry hands to maximize dexterity. Many maps have been digitized to provide safe, remote access to more fragile items. Browsing through the Digitized Historical Maps and Atlases page is another great way to survey the holdings.
Narration and Script by Jacquelyn Sundberg, Outreach Librarian McGill Libraries
Video Editing and production: Labiba Faiza, McGill Libraries.
Why are maps rich primary sources? Historical maps are full of information.
This Fire insurance map by engineer Charles Goad shows how the Wholesale District of Old Montreal changed dramatically on the 23rd of January, 1901. Plotting the start, spread, and destructive impact of the fire, this map shows what businesses were lost, the extent of the damage, and what kinds of enterprises were in the area at the time. Fish warehouses, Paper warehouses, Fancy Goods and Woodenware, and Fur vaults - all of these were going about business as usual on January twenty-second, and were all gone, smoldering ruins, on January twenty-fourth.
Maps also show snapshots of human-built environments and the changing urban landscape. Fire insurance plans like GOADs’ in particular give detailed information on the human occupation of built spaces. Maps are also of interest from a print history perspective, showcasing changes and innovations in drafting, engraving, and large-scale printing.
You can find print maps in our library collections in our online catalog, by going to “advanced search” and choosing “map” in the dropdown Format menu, combined with a place name like “Montreal” as a keyword in SOFIA. With an emphasis on Montreal, the province of Quebec, and Canada, Rare Books and Special Collections holds historical maps and atlases, dating from 1556 to 1940.
Print maps, particularly historical folded maps, can be quite fragile. Handling them with extreme care is required, with clean, dry hands to maximize dexterity. Many maps have been digitized to provide safe, remote access to more fragile items. Browsing through the Digitized Historical Maps and Atlases page is another great way to survey the holdings.
Narration and Script by Jacquelyn Sundberg, Outreach Librarian McGill Libraries
Video Editing and production: Labiba Faiza, McGill Libraries.
