Map and Poster Collections
Approximately 800 posters and flyers from a wide range of social and political activities make up the museum’s broadside collection. Many of the items in this collection were acquired even before they were posted, and are therefore in near-pristine condition. The World War II collection stands out for its forceful graphics and vivid colors.
The museum’s map collection contains nearly 300 maps and atlases of Fairfield, Fairfield County and Connecticut. Many of them, including the popular 1937 WPA map, were hand-drawn. A number of maps were compiled by private cartographers, oftentimes on fragile and highly acidic papers.
FMHC’s map collection spans a wide array of map types, including geographic and topographic maps, survey maps, route maps, hydrographic maps and nautical charts. Among the hand-drawn material in the map collection are maps of the Long Lots, the original four squares of Fairfield, and maps of individual properties such as the Ogden farm. The collection also contains localized maps of small areas of Fairfield, which were oftentimes drawn for private or decorative purposes and come in a variety of formats and sizes.
In addition to local and regional maps, the collection also contains maps of the colonial territories as well as maps and atlases of neighboring states. A number of instructional maps include maps of the United States and its overseas possessions and a map of the railway system, among others. The collection also contains purpose-specific maps such as zoning maps, tax maps, and insurance maps. In particular, the Sanborn insurance maps are wonderful resources for tracing changes from the late 19th to the 20th century.
Researchers interested in a particular historic property are urged to consult our finding aids to learn about additional cartographic material that may be found in the manuscript collections.