This is a fascinating look at how bird’s eye view maps were created in the 1800s. The article is mostly centered on Texas, but they were common all over the country. Mostly, they were not created from high elevations or balloons, but from the artist’s imagination and careful observation. These must have been immensely time-consuming and one can certainly appreciate the talent and artistic ability that went into them. Be sure to visit the Big Map Blog for more excellent examples of this type of map.