An interesting artifact that I found from the U.S Library of Congress online archive was a series of maps that outlined the United States of America's road system. Drawn by engineer Christopher Colles and artist Cornelius Tiebout, these maps details specific roads by using labels and semi-topological drawings to easily maintain road systems in the future. The maps covers the Middle Atlantic east coast states. It also dates back to the 18th century, from 1738 to 1832.
I selected this artifact because transportation is something that I have always been intrigued about. When I take a look back into ancient/old forms of transportation and compare it to modern-day transportation, I am amazed by how efficient transportation planning/mapping has become. As someone who interned for the Department of Transportation, road mapping and details follow a specific format that seeks to condense and summarize as much information as possible. In Colles and Tiebout's map, the drawings are detailed but not to the extent of current maps; this is probably due to the lack of advanced technology such as satellites.
I found this artifact in the Transportation and Communication section of the U.S Library of Congress. This particular artifact has a unique format to the road mapping which heavily intrigues me. It would be interesting to learn more about how engineers and artists worked together to develop road maps; the techniques used could perhaps open up a new understanding of how modern-day maps were developed.
Reference:
Colles, C. & Tiebout, C. (1789) A survey of the roads of the United States of America. [New York: Christopher Colles] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/84675230/.
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