The insurance industry uses a large variety of models and tools in
all aspects of the industry, including the creation of insurance products,
the measurement of risk, the management of information, and the marketing of
products. One of the important historical tools that has been used in the
past are known as Sanborn Maps, which were originally created as a way of
measuring fire insurance liability within the United States. Sanborn Maps
are not used any more, but remain an important legacy for the entire
insurance industry. Sanborn insurance maps included detailed information
about a number of towns throughout the United States, throughout the years
1867 to 1970. Even today, they remain a valuable resource for urban
planning, historical research, preservation, sociological study, and
genealogical research.
Sanborn insurance maps were initially designed by the Sanborn Company, who
started making fire insurance maps and models in 1867. The maps themselves
are made from lithographed plans at a scale of about 50 feet to one inch,
and were created and bound in large volumes for easy access at later
times. Sanborn Maps are known for their detailed construction, and
contained a huge amount of data that was considered necessary by insurance
firms. While they were originally designed purely for insurance
assessment, their highly detailed construction soon meant that they were
relied upon as a reference in other situations. Some of the information
that was recorded in Sanborn Maps included the construction of building
materials, the location of gas lines, and the proximity of buildings to
other buildings.
While they are not used any more by the insurance industry, it is still
possible to access a number of Sanborn Maps via university libraries,
state libraries, town halls, and environmental planning departments. They
remain an important resource for a number of people around the world,
including historians, genealogists, and urban planners. Sanborn Maps have
played an important role in the insurance industry since their creation in
1867, and modern methods of insurance assessment, mapping, and modelling
have been developed partly as a direct result of Sanborn Maps and similar
tools.
Sanborn insurance maps were initially designed by the Sanborn Company, who
started making fire insurance maps and models in 1867. The maps themselves
are made from lithographed plans at a scale of about 50 feet to one inch,
and were created and bound in large volumes for easy access at later
times. Sanborn Maps are known for their detailed construction, and
contained a huge amount of data that was considered necessary by insurance
firms. While they were originally designed purely for insurance
assessment, their highly detailed construction soon meant that they were
relied upon as a reference in other situations. Some of the information
that was recorded in Sanborn Maps included the construction of building
materials, the location of gas lines, and the proximity of buildings to
other buildings.