Mapping New York's Shoreline, 1609-2009

Part of Hudson’s River [and] A Plan of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton.. Engraved map by J.F.W. Des Barres, 1772. The Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division (Courtesy of The New York Public Library)

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This September the New York Public Library will bring you back to school with some topographical history lessons. They're celebrating the New York Harbor Quadricentennial with an extensive exhibit featuring rarely seen maps, atlases and other treasures from their own personal collection. The exhibit is titled Mapping New York’s Shoreline, 1609-2009, and opens on September 25th... but here's a sneak peek.

Another interesting note, they tell us that there will be an added feature which includes "animation superimposing our old maps with the contemporary landscape on Google Earth. Basically, it allows layers of information to be available simultaneously on a time-enabled scale. For example, you can see an old lower Manhattan fire insurance map underneath contemporary 3-D buildings, showing which historic buildings still exist and which have been razed." Amazing! And probably a little terrifying.