Before the David Rumsey Map Collection was put online in 1999, there was a catalog of the collection in a database that we occasionally printed out and distributed to interested parties. The entries in the catalog were for all the atlases, series of maps, individual maps, globes, and other items in the collection, essentially the containers of the many maps in the collection. After the collection was put online, the catalog database was incorporated into the Luna browser and was expanded to include records for all the parts of the original containers, such as all the maps in atlases, all the parts of map series or separate maps, and so on. Recently, we have reissued the original catalog of the containers in PDF format which is called the Map and Reference Collection, and the catalog for all the parts of the containers that are online which is called the Online Map Collection. Both catalogs are arranged alphabetically by author in two column pages, as well as in tables sorted by author, date, type, title, and pub list no. (the unique identifier).

We have published these catalogs online because some users prefer to browse the collection catalog in the form of a printed book instead of browsing and searching in a dynamic online database. But we have added links to items that are online, hopefully giving the user the best of both formats.

The catalogs are always being updated as the physical collection is more completely cataloged and as the online collection grows through digitization. The PDF file that can be downloaded will have a date in the name indicating the year in which it was made. Subsequent updates will have new dates on the file names. When items are online, links are provided in blue that open in the Luna browser.

The catalog is published in three PDF files: the RumseyMapReferenceOnlineMap.pdf (153MB) which contains both the Map and Reference Collection and the Online Map Collection and all tables; the RumseyMapReference.pdf (28MB) which contains the Map and Reference Collection and its tables; and the RumseyOnlineMap.pdf (125MB) which contains the Online Map Collection and its tables. The PDF files for the catalog contain bookmarks to assist navigation through the collections and their various tables and embedded indexes for finding words and phrases.

As of December 1, 2011, the Map and Reference Collection has 5,816 records; the Online Map Collection has 28,682 records; total 34,498 records in both catalogs together.

Below is a sample of a page in the Map and Reference Catalog:

A sample page from the Map and Reference Catalog

And here is a sample of a page from the Online Map Catalog, showing how the same container items are expanded to include all their contents (for example the listing for A. Phillips & Co. "Tourist Excursions" now includes three records - covers, title page, and map).

A sample page from the Online Map Catalog

Here is an example of the Map Catalog sorted by author in the table format:

A sample page from the Map Catalog Table sorted by Author

And finally the Map Catalog sorted by date in the table format:

A sample page from the Map Catalog Table sorted by Date

Download the catalog PDF files:

RumseyMapReferenceOnlineMap.pdf (153MB) (Combines both Map and Reference and Online Map Catalogs)

RumseyMapReference.pdf (28MB) (Map and Reference Catalog only)

RumseyOnlineMap.pdf (125MB) (Online Map Catalog only)