Chicago in Maps: 1612-2002 [Hardcover]

Robert Holland (Author), Gerald A. Danzer (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Chicago in Maps is a luxuriously illustrated cartographic history of Chicago, known for centuries as the gateway city to the West. The powerful and evocative documents reproduced here offer an unprecedented avenue to the city's past-a fascinating collective portrait of the evolution of one of America's great towns. Among the seventy-four maps featured, many are seminal exemplars of this timeless art form: the "Kinzie Map," which accompanied the Narrative of the Massacre of 1812; the Rand McNally "View of the World's Columbian Exposition" of 1893; Daniel Burnham's influential "Chicago Plan" of 1909, which epitomized the ambitions of the City Beautiful Movement; W. T. Stead's "Map of Sin"; and Bruce-Roberts' 1931 "Gangland Map"-a tongue-in-cheek "exposé" of a city populated by such powerful underworld figures as Al Capone, "Baby Face" Nelson, "Machine Gun" Kelly, and others, indicating various gang territories and warehouses. Filled with fascinating historical anecdotes and detailed scholarship, Chicago in Maps is a work that will be highly prized by map lovers and history buffs alike. It is a sumptuous feast of glorious full-color reproductions of maps by the some of the world's most extraordinary cartographers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Holland, a long-time Chicago resident and former Professor of Philosophy at Hofstra University, is an avid and well-known map collector. He has been collecting rare maps for more than twenty years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; First Edition edition (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847827437
• ISBN-13: 978-0847827435
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I envisioned.., May 9, 2006

By 

Jeremy C (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago in Maps: 1612-2002 (Hardcover)

This is an attractive coffee table book, with some amazing maps of the city and region, especially 19th century maps. The 1833 Conley and Seltzer map stands out. The Palmatary View from 1857 is another standout. The maps of the 2 World's Fairs are also absolutely fantastic

So, why 3 stars?

The problem is the level of detail. The maps, for the most part, are reproduced in such small size that a magnifying glass is necessary to really appreciate them. You can't make anything out on them. The other problem is the lack of 20th century maps, especially maps of the latter half of the 20th century. These issues make it difficult to really appreciate this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Maps are too small, July 29, 2006

By 

Irving Parke-Rhode "Irv" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago in Maps: 1612-2002 (Hardcover)

This would be a great book if it was larger. Most of the maps are far too small. Even with a magnifying glass much of the detail on the maps can't be made out. What good is a map you can't read? A real shame.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars they are hard to find in Chicago, December 7, 2006

By 

cmh (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago in Maps: 1612-2002 (Hardcover)

I think this book is a really novel way to learn litle factoids about Chicago history. It is a great gift for anyone connected to Chicago or history buffs