It was fascinating to see the meticulous work that went into marking each detail of the Sanborn fire insurance maps. A typical person looking at the maps would not be able to effectively dissect the different components. Myself included has only scratched the surface of each map, from the maps dating back to 1800’s to 1929 to the most recent maps presented, 1950’s.

One of the most significant piece of document that stuck out to me was the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Study by the Mayor’s Committee on Property Improvement. The text and maps shown throughout the book studies the current conditions in the 1940’s when the study was conducted to the potential and outlook the mayor committee had on the area. There were four areas of focus that were adaptable to re-planning and reconstruction under the urban redevelopment corporation act.

Aside from educational purposes, The Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map is a valuable source of information readily available for anyone for personal interest- as long as we are willing to look, information is there.