Historical Documents Online
Search Hints for Maps and Geographic Materials
The Archival Research Catalog (ARC) includes descriptions of records held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) nationwide. ARC contains descriptions of historical maps and cartographic data files as well as documents and photographs related to geography. Keep in mind that ARC currently contains descriptions for 50% of NARA's traditional holdings.
If you are brand new to ARC, we suggest you refer to our Tips for New ARC Users. If you would like to experiment with some of ARC's search features, see Advanced Search Tips for ARC.
Search Hints:For more information about the National Archives' digital geospatial data holdings, see the Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division Reference Report: Digital Cartographic Data Holdings in the National Archives.
Type of Archival Materials Filter
The type of archival materials filter in ARC allows you to limit your search results to descriptions of maps and charts, or another type.
For example:- Press the Yellow Search button in the upper left corner of this page to go to the Basic search screen.
- Type the words Florida in the Keywords box.
- Select the limit results radio button for 2000.
- Select the type of archival materials filter marked Maps and Charts.
- Press the Go button.
- When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.
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Location Filter
In the Washington, DC, area, maps, charts, aerial photographs and architectural drawings are held by the Cartographic and Architectural Records Unit. The Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division maintains significant holdings of electronic records that contain cartographic data. For more details, see the Division's online reference report: Digital Cartographic Data Holdings in the National Archives.
In ARC, you can filter your search results by location or unit.
For example:- Press the Yellow Search button in the upper left corner of this page to go to the Basic search screen.
- Type the words Florida in the Keywords box.
- Select the limit results radio button for 2000.
- Select the location filter marked Cartographic and Architectural Records LICON.
- Press the Go button.
- When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.
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Many other units hold materials related to geography, in particular NARA's Regional Archives. See ARC Search Hints for Regional Archives for tips on how to filter by one or multiple locations.
Digital Copies
A selection of digital images maps, photographs, and aerial photograph are available in the catalog. You can browse through the low-resolution images available online to preview materials you may want to see in person at NARA or order reproductions.
Use the digital copies filter to limit your search results to only include descriptions with digital images.
Keyword Combinations
ARC allows for combining a keyword search with other search filter requirements. You can apply the filters mentioned above with the keyword search strategies listed below.
Use the wildcard character (%) in ARC to search for all word-ending variations on a keyword simultaneously. For example, the keyword search for aerial photograph% will retrieve any ARC descriptions that include the words aerial photograph, aerial photographs, or aerial photography. Try some of the following keywords with wildcards:
- Aerial photograph%
- Geograph%
- Hydrograph%
- Map%
- Photogrammetr%
- Survey%
- Topograph%
Nest keywords with parentheses and the words AND, OR, and NOT to make your search more precise. ARC allows you to combine some keywords from the name of a federal agency or office with other topical keywords. For example:
- War Department and (Europe or France or Germany) and maps
- (Maine or Vermont) and Geological Survey
