By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – A deteriorating print of a bird’s eye view map of Bloomington created in 1873 has been preserved with the help of a local group dedicated to study and preservation of historical objects.
The print had been hanging for years in library reading room of the McLean County Museum of History, and museum librarian Bill Kemp says it’s an example of a common 19th-century practice of artists touring a community to provide a detailed record.
“An itinerant artist created this map of Bloomington as it appeared in 1873 and sold these prints,” said Kemp. “They were roughly 26 by 36 inches with beautiful detail, and are really works of art as well.”
But the print in the museum was in bad shape after its exposure to 143 years of sunlight and other elements. A year-long restoration was just completed with a $1,500 donation from the local Jesse Fell Chapter of the International Questers to pay for most of the cost. The International Questers is a non-profit group dedicated to study and preservation of historical objects. The local chapter made the donation to mark its 50th anniversary.
Kemp says the map has been used by curious property owners.
“We’ve had people with historical homes come and look at this bird’s eye and determine if there was a porch in the back, was there a side porch, what happened to the turret here, were there outbuildings in the yard,” Kemp said. “This bird’s eye is a wonderful resource to accomplish those kinds of things.”
The Questers chapter will be recognized Monday at 3 p.m. at the museum. The restored print will be on display.
