Walter W. Ristow

Ristow served as the chief of the Geography and Map Division at the Library of Congress for several decades. During his tenure from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, he vastly expanded the library's collection of historical maps. He is considered one of the most important map librarians in American history.

He was an expert on early American cartography and wrote extensively about the first maps of the United States. He also authored a major reference book on the history of American road maps, tracking their evolution from the age of the automobile. His books remain foundational texts for map collectors.

Ristow lived from 1908 to 2001, bridging the gap between the golden age of paper cartography and the dawn of digital mapping. He spent the majority of his professional career in Washington, D.C. Even after retiring, he remained an active consultant for the Library of Congress.

By acquiring millions of maps for the Library of Congress, he helped preserve fragile historical documents that might otherwise have been lost. He established modern cataloging standards that are still used by map libraries today. He trained a generation of map librarians in proper conservation techniques.