This volume serves as a comprehensive bibliographic record of panoramic city maps held within the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. John R. Herbert, a specialist within the Library of Congress, compiles this checklist to provide researchers, historians, and cartographic enthusiasts with a structured inventory of bird's-eye view maps produced in the United States and Canada. The work functions as a primary reference tool for identifying specific geographic depictions and understanding the scope of the institution's specialized collection.

Experts and archivists recognize this checklist as a foundational reference for the study of 19th and early 20th-century urban cartography. Researchers frequently cite this volume as the primary starting point for locating specific panoramic views within the Library of Congress archives.