BHS Reflection(Essay #6)

I found our work at the Brooklyn Historical Society to be very interesting. I found it to be a true learning experience. One of the things that I found somewhat interesting was our work with maps. Normally I wouldn’t find myself being interested in maps but the way that the maps were presented and explained to us made it interesting for me. The staff presented the material to us with enthuasim. They were also very interactive with us to ensure that we understood fully what we were looking at. Understanding the maps was also made easier when we were assigned to groups. In those groups we were shown all kinds of different maps. These kinds of maps include historical and manuscript maps. We were told when, where, why and how these maps are used and who uses them. We ourselves were taught how to use these maps. We discussed how the maps were made, who made the maps and what kinds of materials are used to make them. We also discussed the specific reasons as to why these maps have such historical value to the Brooklyn and the BHS.  One map in particular I remember analyzing was a map of the New York City subway system that was made in the 1940’s. I use the subway very often during the week so it was interesting to see the similiraties and differences between todays subway system and the subway system of the 1940’s. All of the interest from doing work at BHS leaves me hoping that one day I might get a chance to revisit it.