Reference Help
Chelsea Shriver
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Rare Books and Special Collections
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
1961 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z1
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
1961 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z1
604 822-0645
WebsiteMore about Rare Books and Special Collections
Historical Maps at RBSC
This guide has been developed to assist students and researchers in searching for resources relating to historical maps and atlases in the UBC Library collection.
Visit UBC Rare Books and Special Collections to view maps published prior to 1900. At UBC Rare Books and Special Collections, the main focus of our historical map collection is British Columbia. Our printed and archival holdings include historical maps, charts, engineering and architectural drawings, atlases and globes. Geographical coverage includes maps and charts of pre-1900 British Columbia, North America, the Canadian Arctic and the Pacific Rim, pre-1800 world/hemispheres, and Japanese maps of the Tokugawa era.
To search for maps published after 1900, please visit the UBC Library Map Library.
Our Collections
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B.C. Fire Insurance MapsFire Insurance Plans consist of detailed maps that show the character of insured buildings, from 1885 to 1968. Cities included in this collection are Burnaby, North Vancouver, Oak Bay, Point Grey, Saanich, South Vancouver, Victoria, West Vancouver, University Endowments Lands and Vancouver.
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Archival CollectionsSome of the archival collections at RBSC contain maps of Vancouver, the surrounding area, and Canada.
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Japanese Maps of Tokugawa EraThis collection includes the collections of George Beans and George Bonn and is one of the largest collections of maps and guidebooks of the Tokugawa period in the world. There is world coverage, but the majority of the maps feature the whole of Japan or focus on regions of the country. A number of prominent Japanese ukiyo-e artists are represented, among whom are Hishikawa Moronobu, Miyagawa Chôshun, Shiba Kôkan, Kuwagata Keisai (Shôshin), Katsushika Hokusai, Ando Hiroshige and Hashimoto Sadahide.
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L. Stanley Deane CollectionThis collection includes mainly European maps and atlases dating from the 16th-19th century, including maps by a number of significant cartographers, such as Blaeu, Coronelli, Janson, Hondius, Bonne, Delisle, Senex and Speed. The collection features mainly maps of Europe but includes some other areas of the world.
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Howay-Reid Maps of British ColumbiaThis collection consists of the map collections of F.W. Howay and Dr. Robie L. Reid, donated in 1943 and 1945, respectively. The collection features maps of pre-Confederation Canada and the Pacific coast of Canada. It includes maps about the fur trade, voyages and exploration, and the search for the Northwest Passage.
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Coolie-Verner Map CollectionThis collection features maps of North America, eastern Russia, and China from the 16th-20th centuries. There are groups of maps featuring the explorations of Cook, Vancouver, La Perouse, Müller, Cluny, De Fonte, Dixon and Meares, Mackenzie and Hearne. The map collection consists of some 400 maps, including originals and some photocopies.
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Andrew McCormick Maps and PrintsA diverse collection of historical maps and illustrations, dating from 1503 to 1910, documenting the exploration and mapping of the world, the evolution of cartography, and the exploration and settlement of North America, collected by Andrew McCormick, a long-time faculty member of UBC's Department of Ophthamology.
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Chung CollectionIn 1999, the Chung family made an exceptional gift to the University of British Columbia Library, with their donation of The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection. In making a generous gift of this unique and extensive research collection, Dr. Chung gives back to Canada something of what he and his family have gained since his grandfather came from China to settle in Victoria more than 100 years ago.
The Chung Collection has its own dedicated website with descriptions and links to over 25,000 items.
Related Resources
If you want to continue your research beyond our collections, the links below will help guide you in searching the UBC Catalogue and other important databases and journals.
UBC Library Research Guides
- This is a guide to the University of British Columbia Library Map Collection, including information on what kinds of maps and atlases are in the collection and where to find them, how to find online maps, and how to find other sources of information related to maps.
- Fire insurance plans are detailed large-scale maps of cities, smaller municipalities, and industrial sites. This guide is intended to aid users in locating the fire insurance plans of specific blocks within the multiple volumes that cover an area.
- This is a guide to searching for archival material in Canada and internationally, with an emphasis on British Columbia. Archival material includes primary sources (generally unpublished material ) such as manuscripts, letters, photographs and audio-visual material.
- This guide helps you search for resources related to geography, included databases, journals, theses and dissertations, and data and statistics.
- This guide will help you locate books, articles, online databases, journals, primary sources, and theses concerning history.