What can maps tell us about a city’s cultural life—and what do they leave out?

One of the most famous maps in the Leventhal Center’s collections, this whale chart was created by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury in 1851 to show the distribution of different whale species and the best seasons for hunting them.

Did you know Massachusetts is home to the oldest fishing community settled by Europeans in what is now the United States? This 1831 map of Cape Ann by cartographer John Mason gives insight into a bustling maritime industry that has thrived in the area since early colonial settlements.

In this 1965 photograph, a woman encodes data into a Hollerith card machine. The data creation process began with a clerk—often a woman, as this kind of technical work was typically carried out by women working at lower wages—who produced data by manually punching holes into small cards.

A growing economy demanded space for facilities like rail yards and port facilities, as shown here on this map from a government report on how to manage the city’s industrial geography.

During our recent exhibition "Declarations: Printing a New Nation" we asked patrons where in Boston they would read the Declaration of Independence if it came out today.

Our walls are filling up! We’ve heard about family legacies, first homes, and favorite local attractions—and we want to hear from you too. Share Your Where today! Go to atlascope.org to capture your favorite historic view. Then, donate to our programs and we’ll display your view and caption.

Created by Jesuit priest and scholar Athanasius Kircher, this intriguing map of the earth was included in his 1665 treatise “Mundus Subterraneus.” Kircher’s early theories combined religion and science, and looked to scripture for evidence in Earth’s formation.

🏫 Welcome to back-to-school season! Every day, we see more college students on the Green Line and herds of elementary schoolers at the BPL. Here at the Leventhal Center we’re busy setting up our new Where Workshop, a reimagining of our gallery to activate geographic learning for all visitors.

In response to the exploitative living and working conditions facing many immigrants, reformers in the late nineteenth century founded “settlement houses,” volunteer social service agencies with the goal of improving impoverished urban districts.

While "Declarations: Printing A New Nation" may be closed, the digital exhibition remains on our website! This means you can still access resources like a fully digitized copy of "Walker’s Appeal … to the Colored Citizens of the World" or make a research appointment to view it up close.

🐄 ➡️ 🐀 Before Allston was “Rat City,” it was cow city, a thriving hub for Boston’s cattle trade! The Brighton Stockyards, seen here in 1882, anchored the Allston-Brighton neighborhood for over a hundred years and helped ferry cattle, swine, and sheep through the state.

Originally displayed at Chicago's 1893 World Fair, this reconstructed map shows the distribution of major Indigenous language families at the time of European contact.

Trivia is back! Join us for the Maps on Tap Trivia Night at Aeronaut Brewing on September 28 at 8:00 pm. Come to test your knowledge on the history of Boston’s transportation, rivers, neighborhoods, parks, and more! Aeronaut gift cards and prizes of maps will be awarded to winning teams!

🖼️ What historical place would you like to share? 🔍 This fall, inspire our visitors with historical views of your favorite college campus building, neighborhood "square", or Boston landmark!

One of the most commonly asked questions in our gallery is, "Why do some of the s's look like f's?" The answer is: because that's a 'long s'!

Do you recognize which iconic Boston landmark this view is from? Before construction for the Prudential Tower began in 1960, the 23-acre site in Back Bay was a freight yard for the Boston & Albany Railroad.

Share Your Where on atlascope.org! 🏫 This fall, the Leventhal Center will open the Where Workshop, a fresh take on our exhibition space that emphasizes geographic learning for both kids and adults. Ahead of the opening on October 9, this is your opportunity to Share Your Where with the class!

This colorful map shows the northernmost part of South America in the early twentieth century.

The Leventhal Center gallery will be closed Monday, September 14 through Thursday, October 8 as we prepare for the opening of our Where Workshop.

How do globes shape our perception of the world? In this From the Vault collections showing, take a look at globes of all kinds: terrestrial, celestial, even collapsible paper globes developed for classrooms.

What happens when residents advocate for their needs, and the state listens? In 1948, a proposal was made for an 8-lane highway from Canton to the South End as part of the state’s larger “Master Highway Plan.”

It's time for another spotlight on Maps in the Field! This project brings maps to businesses, organizations, and institutions throughout the Boston area. Today, we’re excited to feature two Maps in the Field signs at the Brattle Book Shop.

The Radioactive Waste Campaign, a branch of the Sierra Club active in the 1980s, published this map with the goal of sounding the alarm about the danger of nuclear weapons. This poster was issued as part of the campaign's book, "Deadly Defense: Military Radioactive Landfills".

Even before the automobile, developers were using maps to promote the advantages of living on the edge of the city. This promotional map of Fairbanks Park, a 1890s streetcar suburb, is lined with boastful claims: “See the accessibility! See the terms! No taxes! No interest!”

Our Maps in the Field signage can be found throughout the Boston area, including @bpl.boston.gov branch libraries!

Historians and geographers have long held interest in early depictions of the region known within Abrahamic faith traditions as “the Holy Land.” This From the Vault collections shows maps from the sixteenth to early twentieth centuries with a range of historical perspectives of the Southern Levant

Have you heard about our Maps in the Field project? We bring maps into the world through signs throughout the Boston area. We’re excited to spotlight one of our recent signs at The Foundry, made in partnership with @cambridgecra.bsky.social.

Have you ever wondered how Boston used to smell? This map from 1878 was made by the Boston Board of Health, at a time when the growing city was confronting issues about waste and public health.

We are excited! See the event description and register here, registration is free but required. www.leventhalmap.org/event/author...

Author Talk: Dylan Gottlieb on "Yuppies" - Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library

leventhalmap.org

Dylan Gottlieb@dygottlieb.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? Come to @bplmaps.bsky.social at the Boston Public Library on Sept 17, where I'll be in conversation with Japonica Brown-Saracino. And yes, there will be sandwiches.