Maps are a great way of telling stories. But not enough maps utilize the power of text and graphical images to make the stories they tell interesting to the viewer. The B.C. Archives is a great source of digital historic charts, maps and photos.
“Our archival holdings include: government documents and records; private historical manuscripts and papers; maps, charts and architectural plans; photographs; paintings, drawings and prints; audio and video tapes; film; newspapers; and an extensive library of publications with a strong emphasis on the social and political history of British Columbia and the Pacific North West.”
The Archives Web site hosts some great historical charts and maps available for FREE down-load in digital format. Also, you can query by name, or geographical area, for historical photographs which have been scanned.
Note that what is on-line is only a fraction of what they have in-house. So if you don’t find what you’re looking for on-line, drop by for a visit at: British Columbia Archives, 655 Belleville Street Victoria, B.C. Hours of operation are 8:00 am – 4:45 pm.