Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Historic Maps of Tennessee and Beyond: Digital Maps at the Tennessee State Library and Archives

"I need to look at a map to understand it."

How many times have you said that? Tennessee's largest collection of historical maps is ready to be explored at the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA). Maps are invaluable components of historical and genealogical research, and documentary records often cannot be fully understood without referring to maps.

Map of Tennessee (1818), by John Melish and John Strothers, Jr.
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) Historical Map Collection


In an effort to increase use of this tremendous research resource, TSLA is digitizing original maps and making them available in the Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA). An initial collection of more than 100 maps has just been released, and TSLA will continue adding its maps to this digital online collection to bring more of them to a wider public.


Davidson County, Tennessee soil map (1903), by Julius Bien & Co.
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) Historical Map Collection


On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the State Library and Archives and the Nashville Public Library will host a presentation on the collection, "Historic Maps of Tennessee and Beyond: Digital Maps at the Tennessee State Library and Archives." Dr. Wayne Moore, assistant state archivist, will lead the discussion.


Route of the Memphis-Nashville-Bristol highway (1911).
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) Historical Map Collection

The presentation is free and open to the public and will begin at 11 a.m. in the auditorium of the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street in downtown Nashville.


Map of the British American Plantations (1754)
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) Historical Map Collection


Visit the Historical Map Collection on TeVA's website at http://tn.gov/tsla/TeVAsites/MapCollection/index.htm to view more digital copies of maps at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.


The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

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