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This tutorial explains how to identify individual air photos that cover your site of interest
by reading photo indexes from the Map Collection Aerial Photo Project Tool.
This makes a visit to the UW Libraries Map Collection as efficient as possible.
The first step in this process is to get a list of aerial photo set names for a given location.
To do this, see the first tutorial,
“How Do I... find a historial aerial photo in the Map Collection?”
Once we identify a list of photo sets, we can look for index maps for each set.
The index map column contains links to a map showing the coverage of the set.
It's possible to look at the map by itself, as a pdf
or to show the coverage map as a transparent overlay on the search map.
Let’s try looking at the pdf for the set titled NW-C-01.
This set has separate indexes for different counties.
We’ll select Pierce County because our site is in Tacoma.
Here is the index for the Pierce County part of this aerial photo set.
Zoom into your desired location by clicking the plus sign and scrolling.
The solid dots on the map are aerial photo centers.
Locate the dot closest to your site.
Now scroll to the top of the line of dots so you can see the flight line number.
In this case, the top of the flight line is labeled 1-38-197.
We can figure out the number of the photo we want by counting backwards.
196
195
190
189
188.
We have figured out that the photo we want is numbered 1-38-188.
This number, plus the set name NW-C-01, describes the photo’s filing location
so a library user can pull it from the Map Collection drawers.
Here is how this photo looks when pulled.
Please note: These images are not available for viewing from here. This tool merely allows identification.
Some of the detailed flight line and index maps are not very easy to read and interpret.
If you need additional assistance, please contact Map Collection staff from the library's homepage
by clicking on “ASK US”
or by emailing Map Collection directly at maplib@u.washington.edu