Microforms @ UIC Daley

The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Illinois is a microform collection spanning the years of 1883 to 1989.  The maps were large-scale plans of cities and towns, drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. The maps were primarily devised as a means for fire insurance companies to assess the risk of insuring properties.

Follow these basic steps in order to find a Sanborn map:

Designate a target address or intersection

• Use a mapping service such as Google Maps in order to specify a map location.

Consult Chicago Volume Key

• Use the online volume key, or the Sanborn reference materials available in the Microform section and locate the target address or intersection.

Find the Sanborn Key Map

• Find the key maps for the volumes of interest. Note the years on the key map links and locate the intersections near the target address. Observe the example here.

Access Sanborn Maps on microfilm

• There are two sets of microfilm containing the Sanborn maps. Consult the reel guides to determine which reel is needed to locate the target map. 
• In MICROFILM G-1, Chicago is on reels #8 through #32 with a date range of 1883 t0 1951.
• In MICROFILM G-3, Chicago is on reels #3 through #24 with a date range of 1894 to 1989.

• An introduction to the Sanborn Map Collection provided by the Library of Congress 
   
• Sanborn Maps of Illinois (CARLI Digital Collection) - browse this online repository to access Illinois Sanborn Maps from 1867 to 1970. 
   
• Browse this Chicago History Museum guide to learn more about their Chicagoarchitectural resources, including historic photographs, architectural drawings and their Sanborn map collection.
   
• Consult this guide for an extended overview of the UIC Daley Library's Sanborn Maps collection.