The Collections
The cartographic collections contain original maps, atlases, globes, books, and scientific instruments, dating from 1475 to the present. They emphasize first Maine and New England, then the USA, the Americas, and the world. Special care has been taken to acquire exemplars of the many modes, periods, and national contexts of past cartographic practices across different human cultures. As of Fall 2009, the combined collections number more than 300,000 maps, as separate sheets or bound in atlases and books. These books include works on cosmography, astronomy, and navigation, as well as geography and history. The original materials are supplemented by a substantial collection of facsimile reprints and a growing reference works.

The collections were founded by two major gifts from the late Lawrence M. C. and Eleanor Houston Smith and from Dr. Harold L. and Mrs. Peggy L. Osher. Several further generous donations from other collectors have substantially augmented the collections. These other collections are (or will be) identified separately on this website.

The curator welcomes inquiries about donations of maps and related materials, as long as such donations adhere to the library's collections policies.

Individual items are identified by an "accession number" in the form AA-xxxx-n[-m] where xxxx is the date of the item, n a sequential counter, m the possible reference to a particular element within the item, and AA the collection code:

BA = Baskes Gift

BON = Bonebakker Collection *

CCA = Charles and Dalinda Carpenter Collection (atlases)

CCB = Charles and Dalinda Carpenter Collection (books)

CCM = Charles and Dalinda Carpenter Collection (separate maps)

CRA = Crawford Gift

EDN = Matthew Edney Collection *

EGS = Earle G. Shettleworth Collection *

ENG = Peter H. Enggass Collection *

FL = Fleet Bank Gift

FR = Robert and Shirley French Collection

HA = John Hall Collection

HO = Albert Howard Collection

KEL = Richard Kelly Collection *

MEI = Meinig Collection

MEK = Meeker Collection

MI = Henry Stuart Michie Collection

MOR = Gerald Morin Collection *

MORSE = Norman H. Morse Gift

NA = Tony Naden Collection *

NUN = Nunley Gift

OML = Osher Map Library Collection *

OS =  Harold L. and Peggy L. Osher Collection *

RIC = Peter Rice Collection

RO = Roos Collection

SM = Lawrence M. C. and Eleanor Houston Smith Collection

ST = Laurence and Edna Story Collection

WH = Woods Hole Collection

YO = Douglas Yorke Collection

* open collections, to which items are still being added.