diff --git a/src/boost-workaround/boost/vector_property_map.hpp b/src/boost-workaround/boost/vector_property_map.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..afc1e1b23b5d0486c0642148de250da4f4e5c3b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/boost-workaround/boost/vector_property_map.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+// Copyright (C) Vladimir Prus 2003.
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See
+// accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+//
+// See http://www.boost.org/libs/graph/vector_property_map.html for
+// documentation.
+//
+
+#ifndef VECTOR_PROPERTY_MAP_HPP_VP_2003_03_04
+#define VECTOR_PROPERTY_MAP_HPP_VP_2003_03_04
+
+#include <boost/property_map.hpp>
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace boost {
+    template<typename T, typename IndexMap = identity_property_map>
+    class vector_property_map
+        : public boost::put_get_helper<
+              typename std::iterator_traits<
+                  typename std::vector<T>::iterator >::reference,
+              vector_property_map<T, IndexMap> >
+    {
+    public:
+        typedef typename property_traits<IndexMap>::key_type  key_type;
+        typedef T value_type;
+        typedef typename std::iterator_traits<
+            typename std::vector<T>::iterator >::reference reference;
+        typedef boost::lvalue_property_map_tag category;
+
+        vector_property_map(const IndexMap& index = IndexMap())
+        : store(new std::vector<T>()), index(index)
+        {}
+
+        vector_property_map(unsigned initial_size,
+                            const IndexMap& index = IndexMap())
+        : store(new std::vector<T>(initial_size)), index(index)
+        {}
+
+        typename std::vector<T>::iterator storage_begin()
+        {
+            return store->begin();
+        }
+
+        typename std::vector<T>::iterator storage_end()
+        {
+            return store->end();
+        }
+
+        typename std::vector<T>::const_iterator storage_begin() const
+        {
+            return store->begin();
+        }
+
+        typename std::vector<T>::const_iterator storage_end() const
+        {
+            return store->end();
+        }
+
+        void reserve(size_t size)
+        {
+            if (store->size() < size)
+                store->resize(size);
+        }
+
+        std::vector<T>& get_storage() { return (*store); }
+
+    public:
+        // Copy ctor absent, default semantics is OK.
+        // Assignment operator absent, default semantics is OK.
+        // CONSIDER: not sure that assignment to 'index' is correct.
+
+        reference operator[](const key_type& v) const {
+            typename property_traits<IndexMap>::value_type i = get(index, v);
+            if (static_cast<unsigned>(i) >= store->size()) {
+                store->resize(i + 1, T());
+            }
+            return (*store)[i];
+        }
+    private:
+        // Conceptually, we have a vector of infinite size. For practical
+        // purposes, we start with an empty vector and grow it as needed.
+        // Note that we cannot store pointer to vector here -- we cannot
+        // store pointer to data, because if copy of property map resizes
+        // the vector, the pointer to data will be invalidated.
+        // I wonder if class 'pmap_ref' is simply needed.
+        shared_ptr< std::vector<T> > store;
+        IndexMap index;
+    };
+
+    template<typename T, typename IndexMap>
+    vector_property_map<T, IndexMap>
+    make_vector_property_map(IndexMap index)
+    {
+        return vector_property_map<T, IndexMap>(index);
+    }
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/graph/graph_bind.cc b/src/graph/graph_bind.cc
index f1499ece42898595a3045c5aefcfb872ad7acb94..1f05c64f99bb51aeac0a30b44b9d0330f4590f88 100644
--- a/src/graph/graph_bind.cc
+++ b/src/graph/graph_bind.cc
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 // along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 #include "graph.hh"
+#define NUMPY_EXPORT
 #include "graph_python_interface.hh"
 #include "graph_util.hh"
-#define NUMPY_EXPORT
 #include "numpy_bind.hh"
 
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
diff --git a/src/graph/graph_python_interface.hh b/src/graph/graph_python_interface.hh
index 4f0c73432977527284b33be2e8fca0c90ad9a547..34a048466172a5eb5b41408f092e186b575da75d 100644
--- a/src/graph/graph_python_interface.hh
+++ b/src/graph/graph_python_interface.hh
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "graph.hh"
 #include "graph_filtering.hh"
 #include "graph_selectors.hh"
+#include "numpy_bind.hh"
 
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/type_id.hpp>
@@ -428,6 +429,28 @@ public:
              (_pmap));
     }
 
+    python::object GetArray(size_t size)
+    {
+        typedef typename mpl::or_<
+           is_same<PropertyMap,
+                   GraphInterface::vertex_index_map_t>,
+           typename mpl::not_<typename mpl::has_key<numpy_types,
+                                                    value_type>::type>::type>
+            ::type is_vector_map;
+        return get_array(_pmap, size, is_vector_map());
+    }
+
+    python::object get_array(PropertyMap pmap, size_t size, mpl::bool_<false>)
+    {
+        _pmap.reserve(size);
+        return wrap_vector_not_owned(_pmap.get_storage());
+    }
+
+    python::object get_array(PropertyMap pmap, size_t size, mpl::bool_<true>)
+    {
+        return python::object();
+    }
+
 private:
     PropertyMap _pmap; // hold an internal copy, since it's cheap
 };
diff --git a/src/graph/graph_python_interface_export.cc b/src/graph/graph_python_interface_export.cc
index 4f455b4e1d0111d2179c84424fd24945b0ec1bc1..961bb37b51f9c731182cacd605b3b347374c7d2f 100644
--- a/src/graph/graph_python_interface_export.cc
+++ b/src/graph/graph_python_interface_export.cc
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ struct export_vertex_property_map
                  return_policy())
             .def("__setitem__", &pmap_t::template SetValue<PythonVertex>)
             .def("get_map", &pmap_t::GetMap)
-            .def("get_dynamic_map", &pmap_t::GetDynamicMap);
+            .def("get_dynamic_map", &pmap_t::GetDynamicMap)
+            .def("get_array", &pmap_t::GetArray);
     }
 
     string _name;
diff --git a/src/graph_tool/core.py b/src/graph_tool/core.py
index 8658642418fb54c294a41b44357144bf79a29e35..93c00044761575c2798d8ef5c243f85be8c471a6 100644
--- a/src/graph_tool/core.py
+++ b/src/graph_tool/core.py
@@ -152,6 +152,26 @@ class PropertyMap(object):
         """The value type of the map"""
         return self.__map.value_type()
 
+    def get_array(self):
+        """Get an array with property values
+
+        .. WARNING::
+
+           The returned array does not own the data, which belongs to the
+           property map. Therefore, the returned array cannot have a longer
+           lifespan than the property map itself! Futhermore, if the graph
+           changes, it may leave the pointer to the data in the array dangling!
+           Do *not* store the array if the graph is to be modified, or the
+           original property map deleted; *store a copy instead*!
+        """
+        if self.__key_type == 'v':
+            n = self.__g().num_vertices()
+        elif self.__key_type == 'e':
+            n = self.__g().num_edges()
+        else:
+            n = 1
+        return self.__map.get_array(n)
+
 class PropertyDict(dict):
     """Wrapper for the dict of vertex, graph or edge properties, which sets the
     value on the property map when changed in the dict."""