Term: bird's-eye view
Definition: a type of panoramic map published by lithographers that was especially popular in mid- and late-19th century America. After walking through a town and carefully noting its buildings, an artist would draw the community as if seen from the air (hence the name); lithographed copies would be sold to residents and subscribers. More than 200 different bird's-eye views exist for Wisconsin communities; they can be seen at Wisconsin Historical Images. View more information elsewhere at wisconsinhistory.org.
[Source: Maule, Elizabeth Singer. Bird's eye views of Wisconsin communities : a preliminary checklist. ([Madison] : State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1977).
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