If you have forgotten what a paper map looks like, the Morton Grove Historical Museum will have plenty on display as a refresher of times before GPS and smartphones.
Opening Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. the new exhibit entitled Morton Grove Maps will feature a presentation by George and Mary Ritzlin of Evanston’s George Ritzlin’s Antique Maps & Prints.
The Ritzlin’s, being “very knowledgeable about maps,” will discuss their historical importance and have a few for sale from their shop, Melissa D’Lando said, museum curator at the Morton Grove Historical Museum.
Although the Evanston shop did not have any maps of Morton Grove, according to D’Lando there was a “pretty substantial archival collection passed down through donations and things they found.” The sum of nearly 50 maps dating back to the late 19th century became a permanent collection that covers a vast aerial view of the Morton Grove area, she said.
“We have so many great maps in our collection that we decided to feature them,” D’Lando explained of the reason for opening a new exhibit.
Free to the public, the exhibit includes programs, displays and features a map that predates the year Morton Grove was incorporated in 1895.
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The exhibit will be the first of its kind at the museum as a means of educating the public about the history of the village and the reason preservation of maps is important, D’Lando said.
“You used to pull out your atlas and now you punch [directions] into your iPhone and it’s a totally different experience,” she said. “In our effort to educate the residents about the history of their area, letting them see the maps we have is the best way to do that. There’s no artifact more perfect than a map to demonstrate that.”
Lindsey Compton is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.