The following sub-pages provide a sampling of possible sources for maps and air photos to trace the evolution of both the PEI landscape, and cartography from the early 18th century to the mid 20th century.
This is by no means a comprehensive survey – for the evolution of PEI maps, Reg Porter’s Prince Edward Island Heritage Blog provides a detailed overview of the progression of cartography, while UPEI’s “Island Imagined” website provides additional detailed lot maps. Please see the References sections for more examples.
Georeferenced versions of key maps and aerial photo surveys can be found on GeoPEI: The Prince Edward Island Historical Map Viewer, a web application of the UPEI lab for Geospatial Research in Atlantic Canadian History (GeoREACH Lab). This reference will be updated as more are added to the service.
Please select one of the following sub-pages from the menu or below:
References
Campbell, Claire. “Shore/lines: Mapping Coastlines on Isle Saint-Jean”. NiCHE, August 17, 2020. https://niche-canada.org/2020/08/17/shore-lines-mapping-coastlines-on-isle-saint-jean/
Edelson, S. Max. “Colonizing St. John Island: A History in Maps.” Borealia: Early Canadian History. Blog, November 14, 2018. https://earlycanadianhistory.ca/2018/11/14/colonizing-st-john-island-a-history-in-maps/
Edelson, S. Max. “3. Securing the Northeast” in “Maps for S. Max Edelson, The New Map of Empire: How Britain Imagined America before Independence (Harvard University Press, 2017).” http://www.viseyes.org/mapscholar/?2165&p=30
Horne, Fred. “Cartographic Survey, 1601-1946, Prince Edward Island National Park.” Manuscript Report Number 352. Parks Canada, 1978. http://parkscanadahistory.com/series/mrs/352.pdf
Lockerby, Earle, and Douglas Sobey. Samuel Holland: His Work and Legacy on Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown: Island Studies Press, 2015.
MacFadyen, Joshua. Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air. Charlottetown: Island Studies Press, 2023.
Porter, Reginald. “Reg Porter’s Prince Edward Island Heritage Blog.” (https://regporter.com/pei/table-of-contents/)
University of Prince Edward Island. “GeoPEI: PEI Historical Maps, Geospatial Research in Atlantic Canadian History.” Website. The GeoREACH Lab. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9870ec990eaa40069f772b7025fbd18c/
University of Prince Edward Island. “Island Imagined.” Website. Robertson Library. https://islandimagined.ca/