19th Century

Library of Congress Civil War Maps

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Another treasure from the Library of Congress:

Civil War Maps brings together materials from three premier collections: the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Library of Virginia. Among the reconnaissance, sketch, and theater-of-war maps are the detailed battle maps made by Major Jedediah Hotchkiss for Generals Lee and Jackson, General Sherman�s Southern military campaigns, and maps taken from diaries, scrapbooks, and manuscripts�all available for the first time in one place.

Most of the items presented here are documented in Civil War Maps: An Annotated List of Maps and Atlases in the Library of Congress, compiled by Richard W. Stephenson in 1989. New selections from 2,240 maps and 76 atlases held by the Library will be added monthly.

1859 Map of John Snow’s London

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John Snow is the father of modern epidemiology, having tracked the source of a cholera outbreak in London in 1855, thanks to some good old fashioned detective work. It’s a story worth reading, but I won’t go into it here.

At any rate, the UCLA Department of Epidemiology has an interactive online map of London in 1859. You can zoom in on the map down to an amazing level.

I actually have a copy of the map (framed for posterity) that I acquired when I was in my victorian role playing phase. It was hard to find then. Fortunately, you don’t have to conduct the smae long search that I did. You can just look at it online.

Free Waterloo Articles Bundle From Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy

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For the 200th anniversary of the Waterloo campaign, Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy offers a free downloadable bundle of articles from their magazine.

Austrian Uniforms 1448 – 1896

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The New York Public Library’s Digital Gallery has a large collection of prints of Austrian uniforms from 1448 – 1896. It’s an incredible painting guide.

Stroll The White City

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The Chicago Tribune has a gallery with some long-forgotten photographs of the Chicago Exposition of 1893. It’s a visual treat for Victorian era enthusiasts. And while you’re at it, I highly recommend the book “Devil In The White City,” a true-crime story about a serial murderer n Chicago at the time of the fair.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America