Ira Lourie’s “Johnson U.S. Map Project” is a long‑running scholarly effort. It seeks to document, date, and analyze every known variation of the maps published in Alvin J. Johnson’s 19th‑century atlases. It serves collectors, historians, and dealers by providing a definitive dataset, a rarity index, and a map‑identification tool.
What the Project Is
- A not‑for‑profit research initiative created and maintained by Dr. Ira S. Lourie, a child psychiatrist and map collector who has studied Johnson’s atlases since the 1980s.
- Its mission is to preserve, document, and analyze the maps published by Alvin J. Johnson between the 1850s and 1880s.
- The project is best known for its comprehensive database of Johnson map variations. Its Rarity Index helps collectors understand how common or scarce specific map states are.
What the Project Contains
Ira Lourie’s “Johnson U.S. Map Project” Web Site
A Full Dataset of Johnson Map Variations
- Johnson used 67 different U.S. and state maps in his atlases.
- Across decades of updates, these maps exist in 658 documented variations.
- The Project catalogs each variation so that loose maps—often removed from atlases—can be accurately dated and identified.
Map Identifier Tool
- The website includes a tool. It lets users match features on a loose Johnson map. These features are matched to the correct variation and publication year.
Rarity Index
- Lourie’s 25‑year study revealed that some map variations appear only once, while others appear dozens of times.
- The Rarity Index quantifies this scarcity, helping collectors and dealers avoid pricing rare and common variations the same.
Historical Essays & Context
- The site includes essays on:
- Johnson’s publishing history
- His relationships with Colton and Mitchell
- The business model of 19th‑century atlas production
Institutional Home
- Dr. Lourie is the sole creator and owner of the database and website.
- In 2020, he donated his physical collection to the Washington County Free Library in Maryland, which now hosts research access.
Why the Project Matters (Especially for Collectors & Historians)
- Johnson maps are widely collected, but dating loose maps is notoriously difficult because Johnson updated plates often and inconsistently.
- The Project provides the first systematic method for identifying and dating these maps.
- The Rarity Index introduces market transparency, revealing that some variations are effectively unique.