pipsqueak
05-09-2009, 2:59 PM
You might want to look up the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. I can't provide the link because the site is commercial (selling prints of maps, etc). However, on the home page there is a link to download his Google Earth historic maps for free.
If you already have Google Earth installed (and there's probably no need to update to the latest version - I didn't and it worked fine), you can click on the downloaded icon and then select from any number of historic maps from all over the world. It's possible to superimpose modern roads and places on the old maps so you can see how much the geography has changed. The London maps are very interesting.
If your computer is a bit slow with Google Earth (as mine is) I find it's best to zoom in on the location you are interested in before ticking the box beside the old map you want to see. If you end up with something very blurred, zoom out a bit because the old maps are not so detailed as the satellite images. Also, be prepared to wait a bit for the image to become clear because it's a lot of information for the poor old computer to load in one go!
I have just spent an hour pottering about the Fens and looking at drainage ditches and where the river used to run. It's really very interesting, even if the roads don't always quite match up.
If you already have Google Earth installed (and there's probably no need to update to the latest version - I didn't and it worked fine), you can click on the downloaded icon and then select from any number of historic maps from all over the world. It's possible to superimpose modern roads and places on the old maps so you can see how much the geography has changed. The London maps are very interesting.
If your computer is a bit slow with Google Earth (as mine is) I find it's best to zoom in on the location you are interested in before ticking the box beside the old map you want to see. If you end up with something very blurred, zoom out a bit because the old maps are not so detailed as the satellite images. Also, be prepared to wait a bit for the image to become clear because it's a lot of information for the poor old computer to load in one go!
I have just spent an hour pottering about the Fens and looking at drainage ditches and where the river used to run. It's really very interesting, even if the roads don't always quite match up.