An archival collection is a group of related materials that documents the activities of an individual, family, or organization. The Leventhal Map & Education Center’s archival collections include personal papers of cartographers, records of mapping or surveying firms, and subject-based collections. Archives at LMEC are described in finding aids, which include essential information about the creation, content, arrangement, and context of these collections.
Archival collections at the LMEC are listed below. We are currently processing these materials so only some collections are described at this time. Contact us for more information about these collections.
Applied Geographics, Inc. Records
Pen plot map of the Neponset River Estuary by Applied Geographics Inc. for the Metropolitan District Commission
The Applied Geographics, Inc. records consist of maps dated 1982-2012 that were created by or held by Applied Geographics, Inc., a GIS consulting firm in Boston, Massachusetts. A large portion of the collection consists of maps created for government agencies. The collection also includes maps produced by AppGeo staff while employed at MassGIS before the establishment of AppGeo, maps produced by other GIS firms, and published maps that were used for reference by the company.
Auctioneer Plans Collection
Auctioneer Plan of the Mansion House Estate
Auctioneer plans advertise lots to be auctioned for sale, usually by cities or real estate companies. Some auctioneer plans are annotated with sale information.
C.L. Berger & Sons Records
C.L. Berger & Sons mine transit product catalog
The C.L. Berger & Sons records consists of documents and objects produced by the surveying instrument manufacturing company from 1919-1948. The collection includes product catalogs, product manuals, field manuals, instructional manuals, technical manuals, photographs, pamphlets, company stationary, and three small models of instruments. Also included are texts of speeches by co-owner Louis H. Berger and other materials related to trade conferences.
Dana F. Perkins, Inc. Records
Manuscript property survey by W.A. Mason & Sons, acquired by Dana F. Perkins, Inc.
This collection includes documentation created by 3 Metropolitan Boston surveying companies giving a snapshot view of how their survey work was done from mid-19th century to mid-20th century (1839-1949). Maps, sketches, and drawings are represented from the W.A. Mason & Sons surveying company (1839-1947), the William H. Whitney surveying company (1886-1906), and the Fuller-Whitney Corporation (1882-1891). The materials include surveys of lands in the Metropolitan Boston area, outlying towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and the landmark ‘Back Bay Filling Project,’ 1882-1891.
Annie Olmstead Peet Papers
Pictorial map of the Genesee Country before 1850 drawn by Annie Olmstead Peet
The Annie Olmstead Peet papers consists of manuscript, pre-production and published pictorial maps produced from 1926-1969 by cartographer Annie Olmstead Peet (1888-1973) of Rochester, New York. The maps illustrate subjects such as family migrations and county, city, and town histories of New York and New England areas. It also includes miscellaneous photostats of published maps likely used as references, and three aerial photographs by Peet’s son, Olmstead Peet (1912-2003).
John Roman Papers
Manuscript pictorial map of Cleveland, Ohio in ink and watercolor
The John Roman papers consist of pictorial maps produced from 1984-2012 by John Roman (1950-), an American map illustrator, author, and college art professor. The collection comprises 54 items representing 30 pictorial map commissions of Roman’s illustration studio in Scituate, Massachusetts. It includes original hand-drawn ink illustrations colored with watercolor, either directly on the illustration or incorporated into the black and white map digitally; sketches; published maps; photos of installations; and magazines, booklets, posters and brochures in which the maps were published. Maps were commissioned for education, advertisements, and to illustrate articles, and depict nature trails, college campuses, tourist destinations, and cities.
Robert Severy Collection
Manuscript property survey from the Robert Severy Collection
This collection comprises over 600 surveys from mid-19th to mid-20th century for towns across Massachusetts, with a handful covering other New England towns. The most represented surveyors are Robert Bayard Bellamy (1879-1962) and Frederic Endicott (1839-1918).