AMERICAN COMMERCIAL PRACTICES IN
LARGE SCALE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING
S. JACK FRIEDMAN
Executive Vice President
O. M. I. Corporation of America
512 North Pitt Street
Alexandria, Virginia
Abstract: This paper is an attempt to place in print information which
although of common knowledge to a number of photogrammetrists has not been
well publicized and may be novel and of interest to many others. The paper
discusses generally the private commercial company aspect of photogram-
metric mapping. Representative company equipment, personnel, client relation,
and technical operations are covered.
Introduction
A great expansion of the science of photogrammetry in the Unites States in the last fifteen
years has encouraged a release of a large amount of information which has been made available
internationally through such publications as the ‘‘Photogrammetric Engineering," ''Photo-
grammetria," and numerous other publications on various phases of photogrammetry and its
associated sciences. This information has dealt principally with the activities of governmental
bodies, universities, and other quasi-official organizations. It has concerned descriptions of
new techniques of mapping, new applications of instrumentation and details of actual projects
which various public agencies have undertaken. All this information has been most important
and interesting and absolutely essential to the growth of the science of photogrammetry. How-
ever, one aspect of photogrammetry has been described very lightly in the literature. A review
of recent publications will indicate that a scarcity of information exists concerning the practice
of commercial photogrammerty in the United States. This is most unfortunate for a tremendous
amount of effort and money is now invested in the pursuance of photogrammetric engineering by
private companies. It can be assumed that these companies, working competitively, would be
responsible for developing new approaches, techniques, and equipment to more efficiently com-
pete with their contemporaries. Of course it should be recognized that not much information is
available for exactly that reason. A company which has developed an efficient technique for
producing maps would not be too enthusiastic about revealing such information to its competitors
unless it could be protected by legal methods such as patent or copyright.
The author has been in the interesting position of having had during the past fifteen years
experience both with government agencies and commercial firms in the fields of both research
and development and actual production of maps. The comments made in this paper are derived
from: observations limited necessarily to a small segment of the entire private commercial
practice of photogrammerty in the United States. Although the statements herein are based on
a limited sample, nevertheless, it is felt that this sample is quite typical and does represent
practices which are most common. The paper is not intended to be a critique and does not
assume the responsibility for passing opinion on practices now in use. It is hoped that the infor-
mation given is in a purely objective spirit and will provide information to the general photo-
grammetric community which is not too readily available in the literature at this time.
Background
In March 1957 Prof. Charles Miller of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published
in ‘‘Photogrammetric Engineering’’ a report on the status of private photogrammetric mapping
activity in the United States. This fine and timely study revealed a very interesting situation
existing in 1956. With Prof. Miller’s very kind permission, presented herewith is a very brief
summation of some of the facts in the study. In 1945 there were four private companies engaged