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October 28, 2004
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Current Page Maps, Aerial Film, Drawings
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Main Section Guide to Federal Records
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Cartographic and Architectural Records

Information About Holdings

The holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) include over 15 million maps, charts, aerial photographs, architectural drawings, patents, and ships plans, constituting one of the world's largest accumulations of such documents. These holdings are arranged in 190 record groups, which reflect the origins of the records in specific federal departments and agencies. These materials are held by:

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On-Line Resources
Cartographic and Architectural unit Materials

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Archival Research Catalog (ARC)

Archival Research Catalog (ARC): The ARC database can be used to search by media type and by subject.  

  • At this time, descriptions of a small number of aerial photographs, architectural and engineering drawings, maps and charts, and satellite images are available through ARC. The majority of the descriptions are from the Cartographic and Architectural unit of the Special Media and Archives Division, located at the National Archives at College Park.

  • At this time, only the following Regional Records Services Facilities have a small number of maps and charts or architectural and engineering drawings described in ARC:
    • NARA's Southeast Region
      • Atlanta (East Point)
    • NARA's Pacific Region
      • Laguna Niguel, California
      • San Francisco (San Bruno)
    • NARA's Pacific Alaska Region
      • Seattle

    Search Hint:
    • Go to the ARC basic search screen.
    • Select "Architectural and Engineering Drawings," "Photographs and Graphic Materials," "Maps and Charts," and/or "Satellite Images" from the Type filter box.
    • Press the "Go" button.
    • You may limit your search further by entering keywords in the Keywords boxes. If you wish you may also limit search by specific NARA Location by selecting one or more from the NARA Location filter box.
    Search ARC
Other Resources
  • Most of NARA's finding aids are not yet online
  • Send us your request.

The following Regional Records Services Facilities do not have cartographic and architectural records finding aids on-line, but you may contact them for information about their holdings:

Select cartographic and architectural materials are also held by some of the Presidential Libraries. In general, these holdings pertain to the specific Presidential administration, and are not individually described. For further information on such holdings please contact the Presidential Libraries directly:

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