HSTAA 110: History of American Citizenship: Primary Sources: Images & Maps

Digitized Collections of Images

Links to additional collections of images can be found on the History Research Guide. For more information on images see Finding and Using Digital Images.

Digitized Map Collections

Check the Primary Sources by Region on the American history research guide for links to major state-wide collections. Many of these collections will include local maps.

FIMo: Fire Insurance Maps Online This link opens in a new window
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Photographs as Historical Evidence

Photographs, drawings and other images provide information you can't always get from a text source. Images can provide details of everyday life such as clothing or material culture. It is important to keep in mind that photographs are not an unbiased reflection of reality -- the photographer chooses what and how to depict a certain scene. When using images ask yourself, "why it was created, how it was used, how this subject that was depicted here, was understood."

Strengths

Photographs, drawings and other images provide information you can't always get from a text source. Images can provide details of everyday life such as clothing and material culture.
Photographs of the same area taken at different times can show change over the years.

Keep in mind

Many photographs come with limited information about the photographer, location and date. You will need to analyze the photograph for clues.
Photographs are not an unbiased reflection of reality -- the photographer chooses what and how to depict a certain scene. You need to ask your self what was the purpose of the photograph.

For more information on using photographs see: Making Sense of Documentary Photographs, Analyzing Photographs, Analyzing Material Culture, Photo Analysis Worksheet, Learning to do Historical Research: Photographic Images.

Maps as Historical Evidence

Strengths

Maps provide a spatial dimension and can reveal aspects of a city that may not be visible at first glance such as transport networks and environmental dimensions.

Keep in mind

Different kinds of maps provide different kinds of information -- a fire insurance map is different from a topographical map.
It is important to keep in mind that maps are not a mirror of reality -- the creator of a map chooses what to include and how to depict a certain place within the cartographic conventions of the times. Maps are created for specific purposes.

For more information on using maps see: Making Sense of Maps, Map Analysis Worksheet & Learning to do Historical Research: Maps