About the Gwen Curtis Map Collection
Access to the collection is generally available Monday – Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Prior to visiting, please book an appointment or email Sarah Watson.
In 2018, the collection was named in honor of Gwen Curtis, who worked with the maps for 45 years. During her tenure, the Map Collection grew to become the largest research map collection in Kentucky.
Overview of Materials
The Map Collection includes approximately 250,000 paper maps and aerial photos. Below are examples of the types of cartographic materials found in the collection. Additionally, many of the materials are catalogued in InfoKat Discovery.
- Aerial photos of Kentucky
- Current and historic Kentucky city, county, and state maps
- Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of Kentucky cities
- Digital images of historic Kentucky maps
- Topographic maps of all 50 states
- U.S. and international geologic maps
- International topographic maps, mostly WWII era
- U.S. and international nautical charts
