Map of the Oil Fields [Scientific American]

The sophisticated infrastructure of Standard Oil in the early 1890s.

This fascinating issue of Scientific American highlights America’s developing petroleum industry during the late 19th century. A cover page features a ‘Map of the Oil Fields’ in northwestern Pennsylvania, with an elaborate network of pipelines connecting to ports from Lake Erie to the Atlantic Ocean. A scene immediately below shows the smoke-filled skies above a refinery near Cleveland. The accompanying article discusses specifically the developments in fuel transportation, including improvements in pumps, pipeline construction, and distribution systems. Other contents of interest include a view of the Thistle Club Curling Floor in Hoboken and a view of a bamboo bridge in Sikkim, India (made using the papyrotint process).