{{short description|One of the world's largest private map collections}} {{Infobox collection | name = David Rumsey Historical<br> Map Collection | image = Plano topografico ciudad buenos aires 1895.jpg | image_caption = 1895 map of Buenos Aires,<br> part of the collection | housed_at = Stanford University | curators = | size = | funded_by = David Rumsey | website = {{url|https://www.davidrumsey.com/|davidrumsey.com}} }} The '''David Rumsey Historical Map Collection''' is a large private map collection with over 150,000 maps and cartographic items. The collection was created by David Rumsey who, after making his fortune in real estate, focused initially on collecting 18th- and 19th century maps of North and South America, as this era "saw the rise of modern cartography."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/27/DDG6K8UNN81.DTL | work=The San Francisco Chronicle | title=David Rumsey made a living in real estate. Then he charted his future to match his passion: maps | first=Jane | last=Ganahl | date=27 September 2004 | archive-date=3 June 2012 | access-date=9 December 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603113841/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F09%2F27%2FDDG6K8UNN81.DTL | url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Collection == Rumsey began collecting maps in 1980.<ref>https://www.davidrumsey.com/about/david-rumsey</ref> He started digitizing and uploading his collection in 1997<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Mayfield |first=Kendra |title=This Is a Real Quest for Maps |url=https://www.wired.com/2002/03/this-is-a-real-quest-for-maps/ |access-date=2026-04-15 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> and launched his website to display the maps in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naone |first=Erica |date=February 29, 2008 |title=Technology Review: Historical Maps in Second Life |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20357/?a=f |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910070958/http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20357/?a=f |archive-date=2009-09-10 |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=MIT Technology Review}}</ref> In 2001, he became the first person to make GIS freely available to people online with an updated version of his website that let users layer different maps on top of each other.<ref name=":2" /> After 2004 Rumsey expanded the collection to include maps from the 16th through 21st centuries, covering more of the world. In 2008 the collection's website was cited as one of only seven websites with freely available "skillfully compiled carto-bibliographic entries with corresponding early-map images."<ref name="Kovarsky">Joel Kovarsky (2008), "Carto-Bibliography on the Web: Links Combining Text and Image", ''Imago Mundi'', vol. 60, no.1, pp. 93–96. {{JSTOR|40234119}}.</ref> At that time the site comprised 16,000 digital images.<ref name="Kovarsky" />

As of July 2025, there were over 141,000 digitized items available through the website,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.davidrumsey.com/ |title=Home |website=davidrumsey.com}}</ref> hundreds of which were hosted through Google Earth layers. Select maps are also featured at the Rumsey Maps island in Second Life. as well as 2D and 3D GIS. A new MapRank search tool has been added enabling geographical searching of about 60,000 maps from the collection by map location and coverage. In addition, a georeferencing tool has been added that allows site users to georeference and display any of the maps in the collection. The website has additional viewers from Luna Imaging, Inc, including the LUNA browser which doesn’t require any special plug-ins or software to view the collection, zoom into image detail, create slide shows, media groups, or presentations.

The website also has a blog listing new additions to the collection, featured maps, news, videos, and related sites.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

When a document is found on the website, it is usually accompanied by extensive metadata, such as author, date of publication, short title, type, dimensions, note(s), area, full title of the document, full title of the publication it may be part of with notes and download options.<ref>E.g.: [https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~338077~90106055:Caarte-Vande-Reede-ende-Haven-van-M?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:blaeu;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=6&trs=1936 ''Caarte Vande Reede ende Haven van Medenblick, hoemen die ...''] by Willem Jansz. Blaeu from 1620</ref>

== David Rumsey Map Center == thumb|Map of Paris housed at the map center In February 2009, David Rumsey announced that the entire collection, the largest on the West Coast,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Take Two |title=Stanford's map center is home to thousands of cartographic gems |url=https://laist.com/shows/take-two/stanfords-map-center-is-home-to-thousands-of-cartographic-gems |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=LAist |language=en}}</ref> would be donated to Stanford University, including 150,000 maps and their digital images, as well as the database used to track the images.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/february4/oldmaps-020409.html|title=Maps of Americas past|access-date=7 May 2009|work=Stanford News Service|publisher=Stanford University|date=4 February 2009|archive-date=12 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312074426/http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/february4/oldmaps-020409.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Stanford houses the collection in the new '''David Rumsey Map Center''' which opened in the Green Library in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krasny |first=Michael |date=2016-06-14 |title=Stanford Opens Massive Digital Map Archive to Public |url=https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101855183/stanford-opens-massive-digital-map-archive-to-public |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Myrow |first=Rachael |date=2016-04-15 |title=Stanford's New Map Center Lets You Get Up Close & Personal |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/11496747/stanfords-new-map-center-lets-you-get-up-close-personal |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref> The website (where the images are posted on-line) was to continue as a separate public resource.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}} As of 2021, the center housed 250,000 physical maps dating from 1500 to the present as well as and 200,000 digital ones.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Picon |first=Andres |date=2021-12-24 |title=At Stanford’s David Rumsey Map Center, the past, present and future converge |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/At-Stanford-s-David-Rumsey-Map-Center-the-16723418.php |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en}}</ref> In addition to globes and atlases (including the first atlas, the ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum)'',<ref name=":1" /> there are virtual reality stations.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons cat}} * {{official website}} *O'reilly Network: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050605003522/http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2005/06/02/davidrumsey.html Historical Maps Online] by David Rumsey 2005 *PBS News Hour interview of David Rumsey (October 31, 2012) [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/paper-maps-vs-digital-maps New Digital Maps vs Old Paper Maps video] *Harper's Magazine, September, 2012: [http://rumsey3.s3.amazonaws.com/images/harpers/HarpersJelly-Shapiro.pdf "All Over the Map: A Revolution in Cartography"] * 2011 Digital Humanities conference, [http://www.davidrumsey.com/blog/2011/7/11/reading-historical-maps-digitally-how-spatial-technologies-can-enable-close-distant-and-dynamic-interpretations keynote address]

Category:Map collections Category:Historical geographic information systems Category:Discipline-oriented digital libraries Category:American digital libraries Category:Map websites