David Perlman Map Collection

Abstract

The collection contains 21 maps and 5 illustrated views of the Chicago area that punctuate a timeline from the 17th century to the turn of the 20th century. Significant works include maps of the Great Lakes region by European cartographers that recorded the Native American name of “Checagou” or “Chicagou” for the site now known as Chicago, an 1834 real estate plat map and views of notable Chicago buildings and transportation routes were rendered in steel and wood engravings for an 1872 publication called, Picturesque America, or the Land We Live In.

Biographical/Historical

As a career Army Infantry Officer, David Perlman mastered map reading, which he used for making decisions and planning tactical movements. With an understanding that mapping requires detail and accuracy, he initially became fascinated with the early mapmakers whose reliance on the ‘best’ scientific advances of the time to depict main landmarks often included distortions, errors, fictitious sea creatures and fanciful lore. Over time, his map collecting grew into a passion with a focus on what interested him—the exploration and evolution of the Midwest and his home city of Chicago.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains 21 maps and 5 illustrated views of the Chicago area. Together these materials punctuate a timeline from the 17th century to the turn of the 20th century. Nicolas Sanson’s 1670 depiction of all five Great Lakes is one of the earliest maps of the North American interior. By the next century, other European cartographers for the Great Lakes region recorded the Native American name of “Checagou” or “Chicagou” for the site now known as Chicago. By the 19th century, Chicago was more than a military outpost and a fort for the United States. Joshua Hathaway’s 1834 plat map, Chicago and the School Section, is notable for incorporating real estate blocks and a recent addition of five parcels that doubled the city’s size just three years before it was officially incorporated. Within a few decades, views of notable Chicago buildings and transportation routes were rendered in steel and wood engravings for a 1872 publication called, Picturesque America, or the Land We Live In. Significantly, these illustrations depict Chicago scenes prior to the Fire of 1871.

Separated Materials

The maps were removed from frames for preservation storage in 2016.

Arrangement

The maps and prints are listed chronologically.

Subject Headings

• Bellin, Jacques Nicolas, 1703-1772
• British--America--Maps--Early works to 1800
• Cary, John, approximately 1754-1835
• Chicago (Ill.) -- Maps
• Darby, William, 1775-1854
• Great Lakes (North America) -- Maps-- Early works to 1800
• Hathaway, Joshua, 1810-1863
• Illinois -- Maps
• J.H. Colton & Co.
• Kitchin, Thomas, 1718-1784
• Maps -- Early works to 1800
• Millar, George Henry
• Mitchell, John
• Neele, Samuel John, 1758-1824
• North America -- Maps -- Early works to 1800
• Robert de Vaugondy, Gilles, 1688-1766
• Sanson, Nicolas, 1600-1667
• Scott, Joseph (Geographer)
• Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain)
• William Darton & Son
• Zatta, Antonio, active 1757-1797

Related Materials

• Chicago City-Wide Collection
• Chicago Collection of Kenan and Carol Heise

Collection Inventory