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Using Maps to Research Armed International Conflicts: Using Our Catalogs

Learn how to find cartographic materials related to international warfare, at NYPL's Map Division.

What are the catalogs?

Photograph of class at library looking up N.Y. City history, Revolutionary period, one girl at card catalogAccess to materials related to international conflicts begins with using both our online Research Catalog and our printed Dictionary Catalog of the Map Division (available online at HathiTrust) in order to see the full scope of our collection. 

To learn more on how to utilize these catalogs, visit our research guide Navigating Research at the Map Division.

See below for some quick tips and recommendations on how to utilize both of these resources when researching modern international conflicts.

Please note that additional catalog tips that are specific to certain conflicts will also be listed on the corresponding pages of this research guide.

Image Source: Work with schools, Tompkins Square : class from P.S. looking up N.Y. City history, Revolutionary period, one girl at card catalog, ca. 1910. NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 465221

What to know before searching the catalogs

There are many starting points for beginning research into international conflicts. To ensure a better search, we recommend organizing what you already know and what you are looking for. By narrowing your search, you will have a greater number of relevant results. As such, before starting your search, we recommend knowing:

  • The area of interest
  • Years of interest
  • Names of any relevant battles
  • Participating countries 
    • Often, government agencies of participating countries will be creating military-related maps, thereby making them the Author.
  • Audience
    • Knowing who is the map's audience can help you hypothesize what is on a map and who are potential publishers. For example, is your audience:
      •  military officials? The maps might include mostly topographic data and be published by governmental entities.
      • the public? The maps might provide general overviews of where conflicts are happening, and could potentially be printed as a leaflet or located in a periodical. 

 

Online Research Catalog

For research concerning international conflicts in the Online Research Catalog, we recommend that you utilize the Advanced Search function, to have a more precise search. 

Advanced Search function NYPL Research CatalogIf you are searching for maps specifically, make sure to indicate the format as "Cartographic."

In addition, utilize the Date facet to narrow your search. We recommend widening your search to a  +/- 5 year range, so that you can access a more inclusive set of materials to peruse.

Please note that some material listed in these catalogs are not in the Dictionary Catalog, and vice versa.

When making a request of an item in the Online Research Catalog, please provide:

  • Title
  • Year of Publication
  • Call Number

Subject and Keyword Searches

Below are suggested terms to use as subject or keyword searches in the Online Research Catalog.

For more specific searches, you have the ability to combine several of the terms below into one subject or keyword search. 

In addition, you can combine any of the below search queries with the subheading Maps and/or name of the region of interest.

Note: When utilizing multiple terms in a subject search, please use the Advanced Search function in the Online Research Catalog.

 

Air bases [area of interest] War Army Battle Battlefields
Boundaries History, Military Military Military bases Military campaigns
Military departments and divisions Military Maps [name of region of interest] [name of conflict, ex. World War, 1939-1945] Naval history
Navy-yards and navy stations Peace Regimental histories War War memorials

Author Searches

Please note that it is also useful to search for cartographic materials created by the governments of participating countries in the conflict. To learn more about the maps created by the United States military and how to search for them, click our tab US Armed Forces Maps.

Periodical and Serial Searches

Periodicals/serials are another resource for finding maps about conflicts that are aimed at the general public.

Depending on the format of the map from a periodical/serial - some will be included in the text while others are supplements or extracted sheets-  we recommend doing searches with "Cartographic" under Format both checkmarked and not checkmarked. In doing so, you are able to get the full scope of related periodicals/serials. 

Some periodicals/serials that we recommend searching under include:

  • Keyword Search: Newsmap
    • Newsmap, April 27, 1942-April 17, 1944
      • Catalog record notes that the creators of this serial was the "United States. War Dept. Public Relations Bureau." and "United States. Supply Services, Special Service Division." For more information, check under the selection of materials for the U.S. Armed Forces in the tab US Armed Forces Maps
    • Newsmap Magazine, 1939-1944
      • Was published on a monthly basis via Geographical Publishing Company. Includes text, photographs, and maps pertaining to the conflict. 
  • Keyword Search: Time Inc.
  • Author Search: Sundberg, Edwin L.
    • Creator of maps for Sunday News
    • Please note that maps by this creator are still being processed and not fully listed on the Online Research Catalog. To see the full scope of maps from this creator and their maps related to modern international conflicts, view the Dictionary Catalog, specifically starting in Volume 9, page 391.

 

Printed Dictionary Catalog

The Dictionary Catalog of the Map Division is digitally available via HathiTrust. When searching for material related to modern international conflicts, you will want to search in this catalog by either location, name of author, or specified subjects.

Spines of NYPL Dictionary CatalogThese volumes are arranged alphabetically. For example:

  • maps of Alexandria, Virginia will be located in Volume 1 (A-Bor), alphabetically under A.
  • maps by the company General Drafting Company will be located in Volume 4 (Fes - Hay), alphabetically under G.
  • maps indexed under the subject headings Railways will be located in Volume 8 (Pid - San), alphabetically under R.

Within this alphabetical arrangement, the maps are then arranged by date (from oldest to newest).

Please note that some material listed in these catalogs are not in the Online Research Catalog, and vice versa.

When making a request for an item in the printed Dictionary Catalog, please provide:

  • Title 
  • Year of publication 
  • The volume and page number in which the item appears 
  • The row number (between 1-7) and column number (between 1-3) in which the item appears

See below for some recommendations on search terms and how to use them:

  • Location Search:
    • [Name of Location] [Year of Interest]
    • The name of the location will determine which volume you choose.

Location Search Example: To find Korea, look in Volume 5 (Haz - Loo). Looking alphabetically, you will find this record on page 623.

Entry from Dictionary Catalog for Battle of the hills in Korea

  • Author Search:
    • [Name of Author/Organization] [Year of Interest]
    • The name of the Author/Organization will determine which volume you choose.
      • If it is an individual author, search via their last name.
      • If it is an organization, search under the first letter in the organization's name [ignoring articles such as A or The]. For example, The Sanborn Map Company would be indexed under S, not T.

Author Search Example: To find materials created by the United States Army Map Service,  a major map publishing company, you would look under Volume 9 (Sao - U.S. F). Searching alphabetically, you will find this record on page 806.

United States Army Map Service Central America map entry from Dictionary Catalog

Please note that it is also useful to search for cartographic materials created by the governments of participating countries in the conflict. To learn more about the maps created by the United States military and how to search for them, click our tab US Armed Forces Maps.

We also recommend searching under the names of periodicals/serials, to find pertinent maps related to conflicts. Of particular note: 

Subject Search:

Subject Search Example: To find materials related to World War II, you would look under Volume 10 (U.S. G - Z). Looking alphabetically, you will find this record on page 791 under World War, 1939-.

Subject Search World War, 1939 entry from The Balkan Battleground from Dictionary Catalog

Please note that World War I is listed under the subject European War, 1914-1918 in Volume 3.