Cartographic Curiosities

Explore the fascinating world of Cartographic Curiosities! From antique art deco maps to scarce matchbook covers, these rare and unique pieces of cartography provide a window into the past. Take a journey back to 1930 with an antique Art Deco IICL Network Puzzle Map or explore the 1967 San Francisco Anti-War protest march.

See how Mason & Dixon's 1769 Survey of the Chesapeake Bay Region helped shape our understanding of geography or marvel at Howard Paine's original design sketches for National Geographic's 1963 Atlas of the World. Discover unusual artifacts like NASA Gemini Program Map of John F. Kennedy Space Center & Florida or Scarce 1954 R Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion Airocean World Map. Uncover hidden gems like Dr J Liverpool's 1880 Trade Card Fan w/ Map of Charlestown & Battle of Bunker Hill or Rear Admiral Luis de Florez WWII 3D Pilot Training Weather Simulators. These Cartographic Curiosities offer a glimpse into the past and tell stories about our history that are waiting to be explored!


 Thumbnail CreatorDateTitle / Author / Date / LocationPrice  Description
948Engraved antique map of Greece based on Ptolemy's coordinates.DetailsRuscelli, Girolamo1598
Scarce Ptolemaic map of Greece
Ruscelli, Girolamo
1598
LOC:2
$255.00Ruscelli--GirolamoScarce-Ptolemaic-map-of-GreeceColorful engraved antique map of Greece on a trapezoidal projection published in 1598, based on the work of <b>Claudius Ptolemy</b>. Coverage includes mainland Greece, the <b>Peloponnese Peninsula</b>, Crete, Cyclades Archipelago, the Sporades and Ionian Islands, and the Gulf of Corinth. <br></br> This scarce map is from the sixth edition of Girolamo Ruscelli's translation of Claudio Ptolemy's <b>Geografia</b> with 27 Ptolemaic maps and 42 other maps based on modern sources. Ptolemy (ca. 100 AD - 170 AD) was a Greco-Egyptian cartographer who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. Ptolemy's Geografia was a a compilation of geographical coordinates of the world's locations and geographic features known to the Roman Empire in the second century AD. <br></br> Girolamo Ruscelli (1504 - 1566) was an Italian cartographer and writer who, under the pseudonym <b>Alexius Pedemontanus</b>, published the popular book "<i>The Secrets of Alexis of Piedmont</i>". That book was an early contribution to the scientific revolution that arose during the Rennaisance.
4942View of the Globe Celeste of Vincenzo Maria Coronelli.DetailsCoronelli, Vincenzo1689
Globe Celeste
Coronelli, Vincenzo
1689
LOC:62
$650.00Coronelli--VincenzoGlobe-CelesteA copper-plate engraved view of the Globe Celeste of Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1718), considered as one of Italy's most famous and greatest cartographers. Coronelli was an Italian Franciscan friar, cartographer, cosmographer and encyclopedist, a trained wood engraver who studied astronomy, Euclidean geometry and ancient philosophy and was named cosmographer for the Republic of Venice. <br></br> Coronelli became most famous for his very large globes built in Paris from 1681-1683 at the order of King Louis XIV. His terrestrial and celestial globes measured 3.9 meters in diameter and were not equaled for more than 200 years. <br></br> The print, dated within at 1689, celebrates the consecration of the Celestial Globe in 1683 by Cardinal Destrees. Scarce. Only two sales recorded in the AMPR.
6545Survey results by Mason and Dixon,DetailsMason, Charles and Jeremiah Dixon1769
Scarce Chesapeake region map from the survey of Mason and Dixon
Mason, Charles and Jeremiah Dixon
1769
LOC:78
$400.00Mason--Charles-and-Jeremiah-DixonScarce-Chesapeake-region-map-from-the-survey-of-Mason-and-DixonScarce map of the Chesapeake Bay region with portions of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The map shows the results of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon's survey of the boundary between the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Published in Gentleman's Magazine, 1769. <br><br> Surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon spent 58 months establishing the boundaries of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. The team attained widespread recognition as the creators of the Mason-Dixon Line, the de facto border between the northern and southern United States. Key features include: the Potowmack River, Cape May, Cape Charles, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Annapolis. Shows several of the key roads in use during the mid 18th-century.
4706Antique engraved star chart for the Southern Hemisphere.DetailsFortin, J.1775
Antique star chart of the Southern Hemisphere after Lacaille
Fortin, J.
1775
LOC:13
$280.00Fortin--J-Antique-star-chart-of-the-Southern-Hemisphere-after-LacailleFine decorative antique hand-colored engraved celestial star chart for the Southern Hemisphere from the Atlas Céleste de Flamstéed, updated and reduced by J. Fortin in 1776. This map of the Southern skies is based on Nicolas Louis de Lacaille’s star chart from 1754 in which Lacaille included 14 new constellations. <br></br> Lacaille sailed to South Africa in 1750 where he set up a small observatory at the Cape of Good Hope under the famous Table Mountain, which impressed him so much that he later named a constellation after it, Mensa. At the Cape in 1751 - 52 Lacaille observed the positions of nearly 10,000 stars. On his return to France in 1754, Lacaille presented a map of the southern skies to the French Royal Academy of Sciences which included 14 new constellations of his own invention. An engraved version of his celestial map was published in the Academy’s Mémoires in 1756 and Lacaille’s new constellations were rapidly accepted by other astronomers. <br></br> Flamsteed was born into a prosperous family & was largely self taught as he did not attend University due to poor health. He was appointed the first Astronomer Royal by King Charles II, with the Royal Observatory at Greenwich being built for him to continue his astronomical observations. Flamsteed's Celestial Atlas was first published ten years posthumously by his wife in 1729. It set the standard in professional astronomy for almost a century, with the positions of over 3,000 stars given more accurately than ever before. <br></br> French text for names of stars and constellations. Page 29. Lettered by Beauble' ; engraved by C.E. Voisard.
1379French Map of North America with English Possessions.DetailsVaugondy, Robert de1778
Fine Antique Speculative Map of North America
Vaugondy, Robert de
1778
LOC:10
$350.00Vaugondy--Robert-deFine-Antique-Speculative-Map-of-North-AmericaA good example of Robert de Vaugondy's 1778 map of North America's English Possessions incorporating his speculative geography of the American northwest. The map covers from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic Ocean to Texas, then "Nouveau Mexique". <br></br> This map's most interesting features are in the large inset in the upper left quadrant illustrating Vaugondy's speculative geography of the American Northwest. The map features the Sea of the West (Mer de L'Ouest), the discoveries of Admiral de Fonte, the discoveries of Bernarda, the Strait of Anian, and the mythical kingdoms of Quivira and Teguaio. <br></br> There is no reliable evidence to authenticate either the existence of Admiral de Fonte himself or of the voyage. The account of de Fonte's voyage, first published in 1708, took the form of a letter by de Fonte in which he described himself as “then Admiral of New Spain and Peru, and now Prince of Chili.” The story is now attributed to the editor of the London Magazine. <br></br> Perhaps Vaugondy was attempting a bit of "fake news" and trying to muddy the waters over the English claims to North American territory by including these speculative geographic features into the map. <br></br> From Vaugondy's "Nouvel atlas portatif ". Engraved by Dussy.
1457Early chart of the Gulf Stream or "Florida Stream".DetailsGold, Joyce1804
Chart of the Supposed Course of the Florida Stream
Gold, Joyce
1804
LOC:3
$400.00Gold--JoyceChart-of-the-Supposed-Course-of-the-Florida-StreamGraphically arresting thematic chart of the "Florida Stream" or Gulf Stream with its flow northwards up the east coast of the United States, well past Bermuda, and then into the North Atlantic Ocean. Direction of the Gulf Stream current is shown visually by arrows supplemented with written notations indicating the compass direction at several locations across the stream. <br></br> The map may be considered to be an example of persuasive cartography. The concept of the Gulf Stream was novel at that time (hence the "supposed"); many mariners had not fully adopted the notion when this map was published. The direction and flow of the Gulf Stream was proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1770 based on measurements he took during voyages from the U.S. to England and France. <br></br> London Published May 31, 1804 by J. Gold, 103 Shoe Lane.
5351Port pass and anchorage plan for the port of Tarragona, Spain. 1833.DetailsCity of Tarragona1833
Very rare antique port pass for Tarragona, Spain wine related with map
City of Tarragona
1833
LOC:57
$1,750.00City-of-TarragonaVery-rare-antique-port-pass-for-Tarragona--Spain-wine-related-with-mapHandsome, finely engraved, signed antique ship's port pass and anchorage plan for the U.S. Brigantine "Hancock" at the port of Tarragona, Spain along the Mediterranean Sea. The port pass, dated within at 1833, includes a large anchorage plan with numerous soundings for the port for Tarragona, with sailing directions in three languages [1] and a description of the ship's cargo of wine and aguardiente. Spanish text. <br></br> Rare. No holdings of this item are listed in WorldCat and only one record of a sale of a similar document, from 1820. <br></br> Bearing the armorial seal of Tarragona, Spain, the document is topped with a view of the walled city of Tarragona below a Latin scroll touting the safety and health of "Tarraco" [2]. At bottom the signers specify the pass applies specifically to the United States Bergantine (Brig) Hancok (Hancock ?), captained by Ebenezer L. Higgins [3], with a crew of eight sailors. Dated to February 12, 1833 the pass specifies the cargo exported from Tarragona to Brazil consisted of "vino tinto" (red wine), "aguardiente refinado" (brandy) and "aguardiente anisado" (an anise-flavored liqueur popular today in Colombia) [4]. <br></br> SOURCES: <br> [1] "Cape Salou bears from the point of the mole to the So[luth] 5° O. 7 miles distant & Cape Gros or Pointe de la Mora to the east 12° 30' N. 6 1/2 miles distant. The soundings are denoted in Spanish feet of which 35 make 32 English feet." <br> [2] "Salutem et Sanitatem en Capite insigni Despectans Tarraco Pontum." <br> [3] Possibly Captain Ebenezer Higgins of Provincetown, Mass. (b. 1807) who died at the helm of the schooner Been Atkins on June 8, 1846 while bound for Norfolk, Virginia. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120392629/ebenezer-higgins) <br> [4] Colome-Ferrer, Josep and Ferrer, Loren. The importance of the liquor sector in Catalan viticulture in the 18th and 19th centuries. (From Spanish) Journal of Industrial History. No. 79. 2020.
5300Trade card with plan of Battle of Bunker Hill for J. Liverpool, quack.DetailsLiverpool, J.1880
Quackery trade card Charlestown map Dr. J. Liverpool, Great Indian Herb Doctor
Liverpool, J.
1880
LOC:300
$2,500.00Liverpool--J-Quackery-trade-card-Charlestown-map-Dr--J--Liverpool--Great-Indian-Herb-DoctorExceedingly rare and desirable trade card, in the form of a fan, ca. 1880 for Dr. J. Liverpool "The Great Indian Herb Doctor" with a map of Charlestown, Mass. - "Official Plan Battle of Bunker Hill" on verso. An advertisement for quack cures and treatments. <br></br> No other example found anywhere on this planet. <br></br> Advertising trade card in the form of a octagonal fan, mounted to a handle. <br></br> Recto: <br></br> <div class="indenttextblocksingle" style="text-align: center;"> "The Wonder of the World Dr. J. Liverpool Office and Laboratory 81 Green Street Boston, Mass. <br></br> Where he may be consulted daily free of charge.<br></br> Office hours 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. <br></br> Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For the benefit of the laboring class. <br></br> All chronic diseases treated with nature's own remedies, ROOTS, HERBS, BARKS <br>Use no more poisonous drugs.<br></br> GO AT ONCE AND SEE HIM!<br></br> Delays are Dangerous.<br></br> Your disease may be curable to-day - not tomorrow - therefore do not delay. He has cured thousands where others have failed." <br></br> </div> Verso:<br></br> <div class="indenttextblocksingle" style="text-align: center;"> "Official Plan Battle of Bunker Hill<br></br> June 17, 1775<br></br> Manufactured and Printed by L.F. Lawrence & Co.<br></br> 161 & 171 Devonshire and 30 & 32 Arch Streets, BOSTON." </div> <br></br> Note: Dr. Liverpool's address at 81 Green Street, Charlestown, Mass, was one block from Bunker Hill Street and four blocks from the Bunker Hill Monument. Newspaper advertisements in 1882 for Dr. J. Liverpool recorded his address as 833 Tremont Street.
5364 Two heart-shaped allegorical maps of the heart by gender.DetailsAnonymous1909
Pair of manuscript allegorical Maps of the Heart, anatomically correct.
Anonymous
1909
LOC:13
$1,100.00AnonymousPair-of-manuscript-allegorical-Maps-of-the-Heart--anatomically-correct-Two rare <b>manuscript pen and ink</b> anatomically-correct heart-shaped geographical guides or allegorical maps: "Map of Man's Heart" and "Map of Woman's Heart". Both maps are attributed within circular cartouches reading "Surveyed and Drawn by HUB. Scale 2 miles = 1". 1909." This style of anatomical heart-shaped maps and some of the traits are not found anywhere online. <br></br> After similar Victorian-era maps by D.W. Kellogg & Co. of Connecticut ca. 1840. Unlike this manuscript pair of maps, the Kellogg lithographs were based on a stylized and exaggerated bi-lobed conception of the heart- the "Valentine" heart that we know today. Despite the differences in wording of traits, the theme of negative stereotypes for women is the same. <br></br> Map of Man's Heart includes large areas devoted to patience, modesty, fidelity (twice), benevolence, humanity, knowledge and love. On the other hand, the Map of Woman's Heart largely features conceit, jealousy, scandal, duplicity, deceit, fickleness and avarice among other traits. The woman's heart is pierced by the "River Tongue" and surrounded on one side by the "kleptomaniac ocean" and on the other side, the "cantankerous ocean". <br></br> Seller attributes the provenance to India "it came from a nurses friendship book, she being based in Bangalore India - her name was probably MacDonald."
6680Rare roller strip map Maine to Miami Florida.DetailsNational Highway Roller Map co.1930
Highway 1 Roller Strip Map Maine to Miami Florida
National Highway Roller Map co.
1930
LOC:
$375.00National-Highway-Roller-Map-co-Highway-1-Roller-Strip-Map-Maine-to-Miami-FloridaBefore Google Maps and Apple Maps there were Roller Maps. This boxed hand-held rotating roller map, copyright 1930, is stated to be 19 feet long x 2 3/4 inches high (1). The roll on this unusual roller road strip map traces the route of Highway 1 from Maine to Miami, Florida. In a heavy windowed cardboard box with two wooden spool handles for each axle. Based on an entry to the Catalog of Copyright Entries the item is dated to March, 1930. Apparently scarce. <br><br> Highway 1, also referred to as the Eastern Seaboard Highway, is a significant highway that runs along the East Coast of the United States. It stretches for almost 2,400 miles, from Maine to Florida. The highway passes through several major cities, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Miami. Highway 1 has a rich history, as it was originally established in the early 20th century as a network of small roads that connected coastal towns and cities. <br><br> Box has a circular steel disc attached to the back. The disc mostly likely was used to attach the roller map to a dashboard holder magnetically. <br><br> Similar in function to the metal-cased Rota-ray Map of New York at the David Rumsey Collection (2) but the cardboard roller map probably had much lower manufacturing cost than the Rota-ray roller map. Scarce. Only one copy found in WorldCat, at the Library of Congress. Oh, I just got it- rotary! <br><br> Produced by the National Highway Roller Map Company, Augusta, Georgia. <br><br> (1) https://www.davidrumsey.com/. Search term: "Rota Ray".<br> (2) Catalogue of Copyright Entries. Online. Google. New Series Volume 27, No. 1, 1930. page 588.
67241930s map puzzle for Imperial and International Communications LtdDetailsPerry, Heather "Herry"1930
Rare Art Deco Imperial and International Communications Ltd Map Puzzle
Perry, Heather "Herry"
1930
LOC:500
$3,500.00Perry--Heather-"Herry"Rare-Art-Deco-Imperial-and-International-Communications-Ltd-Map-Puzzle<br></br>Bring a piece of British telecommunications history to your collection. This exquisite, complete, and rare Art Deco style puzzle map of the Imperial and International Communications (IICL) network ca. 1930 precedes McDonald Gill's Cable and Wireless Great Circle map by 15 years and features elegant characters representing the Anemoi, mythological Roman wind gods, and the Greek wind gods or Venti: Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus, Eurus, Aquilo, Favonius, Auster, and Vulturnus. Green lines indicate the undersea cables of the IICL, while dotted green lines signify IICL wireless transmissions. <br><br> <div id="0" align="center"> <a title="Perry's Telecom Map Puzzle"></a> <img id="3" src="/zoomifyimages/SC_6724/SC_6724_Detail.jpg" alt="Art Deco details from Herry Perry map puzzle for Imperial and International Communications Ltd, 1930, London." width="350"/> <br><small>Detail from Herry Perry's Art Deco IICL map puzzle, 1930.</small> </div><br> Manufactured by the Chad Valley Company, an eminent English toy manufacturer as a promotional item for the IICL. The Chad Valley Company was active from 1860 to 1978, known for creating a diverse range of toys and games. Its products ranged from high-quality soft toys, educational puzzles, board games, to construction sets. <br></br> In 1929, the Imperial Telegraphs Act paved the way for the formation of two new companies that would merge the various telegraph and wireless services within the British Empire and create a coordinated global communications network. Initially, IICL focused on expanding its services within the British Empire, but it eventually expanded its coverage to other regions like the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. IICL merged with Cable & Wireless Limited in 1934. Includes the intact original puzzle box. <br><br> Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a rare and remarkable piece of British telecommunications history - purchase this Art Deco map puzzle of the IICL network today.
6487Ad for Hidden City a South Dakota roadside attraction.DetailsAnonymous1938
Roadside attraction flyer for mythical Hidden City South Dakota
Anonymous
1938
LOC:78
$135.00AnonymousRoadside-attraction-flyer-for-mythical-Hidden-City-South-DakotaVery scarce advertising flyer ca. 1938 with map for the long-forgotten <strong>Hidden City</strong>, a roadside attraction in South Dakota's Black Hills; Admission 25 cents. <br><br> <div id="ll" align="center"> <a title="Hidden City, SD"></a> <img id="ii" src="/ZoomifyImages/SC_6487/SC_6487_DinoSign.jpg" alt="1940s sign for Hidden City Roadside Attraction" width="260"/> <br><small>1940s road sign for Hidden City <br>(not included)</small> </div><br> The recto teases "Did Alley Oop ? ? ? ? ? ." "Prehistoric Walls, Cross Walls, Arches and Pavements with Hieroglyphics. Lost City?" and includes a crude drawing of 1930s artist's concept of a caveman, complete with loincloth and club. <br><br> </ul> </div> <div id="1z" align="center"> <a title="Hidden City, SD"></a> <img id="3" src="/ZoomifyImages/SC_6487/SC_6487_Detail.jpg" alt="" width="300"/> <br><small>Hidden City, South Dakota Roadside Attraction</small> </div><br> Verso with a road map of South Dakota highlighting the location of a number of area attractions, both large and small. The less well-known of these attractions include: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"></li> <li>Black Hills Rock Museum</li> <li>Black Hills Sugar Factory, Belle Fourche</li> <li>Stage Barn Caverns</li> <li>Water Carnival and Race Meet</li> <li>Nameless Cave</li> <li>Strato Bowl</li> </ul> </div> Earl Brockelsby, who later started another attraction in 1937, Reptile Gardens, worked as a tour guide at Hidden City.
4853Cyanotype course map of the Hampton Yacht Club 14th Annual RegattaDetailsHampton Yacht Club1941
Hampton Yacht Club Regatta Cyanotype Map
Hampton Yacht Club
1941
LOC:13
$250.00Hampton-Yacht-ClubHampton-Yacht-Club-Regatta-Cyanotype-MapUnusual self-published cyanotype (blueprint) course map of the Hampton Yacht Club 14th Annual Regatta July 5 and 6 at Hampton, Virginia, complete with a sketch of an undulating sea serpent (rarely found on a cyanotype) and another small cartoon at the Hampton Bar. The course chart shows the coast outline with the offshore one-fathom line and the beacons and buoys marking the course. <br></br> This pre-war cartographic artifact is sold with two included documents: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li>A printed summary of the Regatta's sailing event with notes on prizes, courses, starting signals, rules for resolving protests, and a schedule of sailing events. For a map of the course the summary states: "See chart no. 400 and blueprint copies of part of the same which will be available at the clubhouse."</li> <li> A one-page type-written set of Racing Rules for Warwick One Design Dinghies.</li> </ul> </div>Top left corner "H.K.S. 7/3/41"
5090Matchbook cover for the U.S. Navy survey vessel U.S.S. Bowditch.DetailsDiamond Match Company1942
Galapagos Islands survey by U.S.S. Bowditch match book cover
Diamond Match Company
1942
LOC:13
$40.00Diamond-Match-CompanyGalapagos-Islands-survey-by-U-S-S--Bowditch-match-book-coverScarce matchbook cover for the 386-foot U.S. Navy survey vessel U.S.S. Bowditch with an index map for their cruises of 1942-1943 to the Galapagos Islands, a part of Chile. Manufactured by the Diamond Match Company N.Y.C. <br></br> The USS Bowditch (AG 30) was first launched in 1929 at Copenhagen, Denmark, as the passenger ship Santa Inez. The Bowditch was outfitted as a surveying vessel and commissioned on 1 July 1940, with Commander E. E. Duval in command. <br></br> Departing Norfolk on 9 January 1942, the U.S.S. Bowditch steamed south to conduct surveys of the waters between Panama and Colombia, off the Galápagos Islands, and off the Cocos Islands in Costa Rica. <br></br> The following U.S. Navy charts were based on surveys conducted by the U.S.S. Bowditch in 1942 and 1943: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li># 5936 Approaches to Bahia Bartago, Archipielago de Colon (Galapagos Islands). 1942.</li> <li># 5921 Eastern Approaches to Canal de San Salvador, Archipielago Colon (Galapagos Islands). 1943.</li> <li># 5931 Western approaches to Canal Bolivar, Archipielago de Colon (Galapagos Island). 1942.</li> <li># 5920 Isle Baltra, Archipielago de Colon (Galapagos Islands). 1942.</li> <li># 5959: Golfo de Guyaquil. 1943.</li> </ul> </div> The USS Bowditch was decommissioned in January, 1947
4806 Wilcox and Follet Co's Octovue world map on Pitner's projection.DetailsWilcox and Follett Co.1944
Advertisement for Octovue Map on Pitner's Projection
Wilcox and Follett Co.
1944
LOC:88
$350.00Wilcox-and-Follett-Co-Advertisement-for-Octovue-Map-on-Pitner-s-ProjectionScarce color brochure from 1944 explains and promotes Wilcox and Follet Co's Octovue map, their <b>New Air Age Educational -- Indispensable! WORLD MAP.</b> All on one single folding sheet printed front and back with 8 pages total in color. Folded size 5" x 8". <br></br> The Octovue map was one of the few maps to use the Pitner map projection. According to this brochure with the Pitner projection: <div class="indenttextblock"> "The globe is divided into eight uniform spherical triangular sections: four North and four South of the equator…. each transposed onto a flat surface. … the first map ever made to transpose the round world onto a flat sheet without distortion or exaggeration of shapes, sizes, and distances." </div> <br></br> Last page details what the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in <i>Elements of Map Projections</i> consider to be the "Ideal Map" and provides reasoning for consideration of the Octovue map over all others. <br></br> Copyright 1944 by L.E. Pitner. Brochure edited by Harold B. Ward Ph.D. F.R.G.S.
4870WWII three dimensional weather simulator pilot training.DetailsU.S. Navy Office of Naval Research1944
WWII three-dimensional weather map training simulator.
U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research
1944
LOC:0
$300.00U-S--Navy-Office-of-Naval-ResearchWWII-three-dimensional-weather-map-training-simulator-From the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center, a set of three, three-dimensional pilot training weather simulators (Device 12-K-2a) produced during WWII. This device is noteworthy for its connection to Rear Admiral Luis de Florez (1889-1962) who established the Special Devices Desk at the U.S. Navy during WWII. <br></br> De Florez, an MIT graduate, was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the National Center for Simulation in 2014. <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> "As both an active duty and a retired U.S. Navy Admiral, de Florez was influential in the development of early flight simulators, and was a pioneer in the use of virtual reality to simulate flight and combat situations in World War II." <br></br> "In 1941 ... Commander de Florez became head of the new Special Devices Desk in the Engineering Division of the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics. De Florez championed the use of synthetic training devices and urged the Navy to undertake development of such devices to increase readiness." <br></br> During World War II, he was subsequently promoted to captain and then to Flag rank, becoming a rear admiral in 1944.In 1944, de Florez was awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1943 for his work in training combat pilots and flight crews through the development of inexpensive synthetic devices. (https://www.simulationinformation.com/hall-of-fame/members/luis-de-florez) </div> <BR /> Set of 3 folding weather map models on heavy card stock that present a three-dimensional view of typical cyclonic storms: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li>Map 1. Early Stage of Development</li> <li>Map 2. Cold-Front type occlusion</li> <li>Map 3. Warm front type occlusion</li> </ul></div> Each model depicts a single storm through a series of eight slices or sections representing storm development across a front of 800 miles and a depth of 1000 miles at a single point in time.
5194The Illustrated World map or Octovue world map on Pitner's projection.DetailsPitner, L. E.1944
Illustrated Octovue Map on Pitner's Projection
Pitner, L. E.
1944
LOC:53
$350.00Pitner--L--E-Illustrated-Octovue-Map-on-Pitner-s-ProjectionRare and unusual world map on the Pitner projection. First edition. Illustrated with hundreds of small drawings of flora, fauna, native tribes, buildings, transportation and landmarks. With 5 inset maps on the Mercator and other more common projections. Card covers with map still attached. <br></br> The Illustrated World Octovue Projection Edited by Harold B. Ward Ph. D. F.R.G.S. Designed and Published by L.E. Pitner 229 W. Mineral Street, Milwaukee, Wis. Copyright November 3, 1944 by L.E. Pitner The Octovue map was one of the few maps to use the Pitner map projection. The Pitner projection is explained as: <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> "The globe is divided into eight uniform spherical triangular sections: four North and four South of the equator…. each transposed onto a flat surface. … the first map ever made to transpose the round world onto a flat sheet without distortion or exaggeration of shapes, sizes, and distances." </div> An earlier version of the Pitner projection map was published in 1943 on a single-sided sheet as the "Air Age Octovue Map of the World". Again edited by Ward with a 1943 copyright by Pitner. That version of the map lacks the illustrations and some of the map elements from the verso of our map are on the recto of the 1943 version. <br></br> The Pitner projection was similar to the Lambert Azimuthal Equal-area projection. <br></br>
5220A recruitment poster for a Women's Army Corps draftsman.DetailsWomen's Army Corps1944
Stand-up Poster for WAC Topographic Draftsman
Women's Army Corps
1944
LOC:13
$225.00Women-s-Army-CorpsStand-up-Poster-for-WAC-Topographic-DraftsmanAmong the key events impacting the women's movement was World War II. With men away at war, tens of thousands of women entered the workforce to meet the demands of the war for labor. Among the most well-known was "Rosie the Riveter". Here we might have an advertisement to fill the job of "Carrol the Cartographer". <br></br> A table-top, stand-up World War II recruitment poster printed on heavy card stock for the Women's Army Corps (WAC) depicting a woman drawing on a map with pencil and protractor. The job specialty promoted is Topographic Draftsman, part of the Army Ground Forces. <br></br> With a black ink over-stamp for the U. S. Army Recruiting Station, Room 217 New Post Office Building, Utica N. Y. Illustration is signed but unreadable.
4898Use of compassDetailsInternational Correspondence Schools1949
Radio. Radio.
International Correspondence Schools
1949
LOC:0
$100.00International-Correspondence-SchoolsRadio--Radio-From "Radio and Electronics: Training for Today's Opportunities". A cover from an early mad-man era brochure that combines the iconography of cartography and of electronics with simple bold graphics to persuade readers to set their lives in a new direction through an electronics training course. Further, the user could fine-tune his education through careful selection of courses. Brochure of 32 pages published by International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Content is careers, benefits, courses and subjects taught. With an inserted application form. <br></br> On the face of a what would be a radio dial, the artist has cleverly used familiar compass directions rather than the expected frequency indicators one would see on a radio. Jagged lighting bolts, used instead of rhumb lines, reinforce the impression of the single-word title "Radio". Overall, the message is "Radio and electronics can set your life in a new direction." That is a lot of words to describe what the graphic was intended to convey at a glance. <br></br> <div class="indenttextblock"> "... the strength of the ICS system lay in its ability to introduce, in relatively simple language, subjects that its students may have thought were beyond their intellectual reach and then build gradually to mastery of fields like electrical or chemical engineering. In essence, ICS and other correspondence schools attempted to demystify industrial technology and science, to bring them down from their pedestals at the same time that Americans were barraged by and frightened by technological advances and yearned to understand and embrace them."(Watkinson, James D. Education for Success: The International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Penn. Mag of History and Biography. Vol CXX No. 4. October, 1996. P. 364.) </div>
5474Lithographed Dymaxion Airocean World map by R. Buckminster Fuller.DetailsFuller, R. Buckminster1954
Dymaxion Airocean World Map Raleigh edition signed in manuscript by Fuller.
Fuller, R. Buckminster
1954
LOC:150
$5,250.00Fuller--R--BuckminsterDymaxion-Airocean-World-Map-Raleigh-edition-signed-in-manuscript-by-Fuller-<br></br>Scarce original offset-lithographed <strong>Dymaxion Airocean World map by R. Buckminster Fuller </strong> and Shoji Sadao [1]. From the "Raleigh Edition", (1954) of 3,000 copies. Red stamped sheet number "0138". Published by the Student Publications of the School of Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. Verso blank. <br></br> R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion map projection is a method of projecting the spherical Earth onto a folded twenty-sided polyhedron known as an icosahedron. Fuller intended the map to be unfolded in different ways to emphasize different aspects of the world. This Dymaxion map displays mean annual low temperature. <br></br> An earlier version of Fuller's projection based on a cuboctahedron was featured in the March 1, 1943 edition of Life magazine. Titled “Life Presents R. Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion World”, the article included a pull-out section that could be assembled as a three-dimensional model. <br></br> Manuscript dedication to Carroll Williams signed "Buckminster Fuller" dated to June 1, 1956. From 1951-1954 Carroll Williams taught graphic arts at Black Mountain College, then in Black Mountain, NC Carroll collaborated with Buckminster Fuller on Geodesics, Inc. in Raleigh, NC during 1956-1957. <br></br> At bottom right is a pasted label with the return address for A.H. Fuller at 3013 Hillsboro Street. Here, A.H. Fuller is Fuller's wife Anne Hewlett Fuller d. 1983. <br></br> Includes a second large sheet with explanatory diagrams and text explaining the Dymaxion Airocean World Fuller Projective-transformation. U.S. Patent 2,393,676. <br></br> [1] Shoji Sadao (1927- 2019) Cartographer for the United States Army during WWII. Met Buckminster Fuller in the early 1950's while studying architecture at Cornell. Collaborated with Fuller in Raleigh, NC to draw the Dymaxion Airocean World map in 1954.
5229Rare Chicago manuscript cartoon weather map from 1956 by Hoff.DetailsHoff, P. J.1956
Early Television Weather Map P. J. Hoff Chicago WBBM Channel 2
Hoff, P. J.
1956
LOC:53
$770.00Hoff--P--J-Early-Television-Weather-Map-P--J--Hoff-Chicago-WBBM-Channel-2Rare manuscript cartoon television weather map for the Chicago, Illinois area from Friday, September 14, 1956. With a very unusual mechanical enhancement (string) for animating the map that foreshadows later computer-generated animation of TV weather maps. <br></br> This manuscript map was drawn during the early days of television by P. J. Hoff, one of Chicago's best known TV's personalities, at WBBM Channel 2. Hoff was known for his large weather maps drawn with a black wide-tipped marker and populated with two-dimensional cut-outs representing weather features: clouds, raindrops, umbrellas, suns, and an assortment of cartoon characters including Nanook North Wind, Susanna South Wind, and "The Vice President in Charge of Looking Out the Window." <br></br> Here the "V.P." is fashioned with two strings to permit the character to be pulled though a wringer with a bucket at the bottom labeled "H 2 0". All in fun to illustrate the forecast for rain. At right, a Chinese character promises more of the same weather in the eastern part of the weather area: "Allee Samee Okley You Sneeze." Today that stereotype would be considered politically incorrect. <br></br> With an ink MS dedication by Hoff to David Rowley. <br></br> Hoff (1896-1981) was born Piercy J. Hoffstrom in Mounds, Oklahoma. In 1963 Hoff was so well known locally that he patented and sold a "P.J. Hoff Weather Kit" with a printed blank map, cut-out characters, and other weather-related items based on his on-air maps as his prototype. In 1968, after a career as a columnist, cartoonist, and radio/TV personality Hoff retired to Saint Simons Island, Georgia. <br></br> WBBM-TV began as WXBK in 1940, but in 1953 was sold to CBS in a complex swap whereby CBS took over WBBM-TV. <br></br> Source </br> https://www.robertfeder.com/2014/09/10/remembering-p-j-hoff-chicagos-original-weatherman-with-character/
5089Coverage map for AM radio station WBOP in Pensacola, Florida.DetailsWBOP Radio1963
WBOP All-Negro AM Radio Pensacola Florida Coverage Map
WBOP Radio
1963
LOC:11
$225.00WBOP-RadioWBOP-All-Negro-AM-Radio-Pensacola-Florida-Coverage-MapCoverage contour map for AM radio station WBOP in Pensacola, Florida from September 1963. Map compiled by Bill Lee of WLAK Electronics Service, Lakeland, Florida. With consumer marketing data for the black population in the WBOP market area. African-American interest. Station coverage extends as far north as South Flomaton and as far east as Foley, Florida.
5222Manuscript design options for Round Earth on Flat Paper.DetailsPaine, Howard E.1963
Lot of 3 manuscript design options for Round Earth on Flat Paper NGS
Paine, Howard E.
1963
LOC:62
$1,250.00Paine--Howard-E-Lot-of-3-manuscript-design-options-for-Round-Earth-on-Flat-Paper-NGSThree manuscript sketches, design options by Howard Paine for The Round Earth on Flat Paper used on the inside back cover of the National Geographic Society's first Atlas of the World. <i>(National Geographic Society. 1963.)</i>. From the estate of Howard Paine, Art Director at National Geographic until 1990. <br></br> The booklet "The Round Earth on Flat Paper: Map Projections Used by Cartographers" by Wellman Chamberlin was first published by the National Geographic Society in 1947. In 1963 Chamberlin and Paine collaborated on the design of the inside back and front covers for National Geographic's first <b>"Atlas of the World"</b>: <i>The Earth in Space and The Round Earth on Flat Paper</i>. For <i>The Round Earth on Flat Paper</i> Paine sketched several alternate options. The influence of Paine's early designs are evident in the final design selected for the atlas. <br></br> From 1957 to 1990 Howard Paine was a Graphic Artist and eventually Art Director at National Geographic. Mr. Paine was responsible for design changes to the National Geographic magazine cover that over time replaced the old-fashioned border of clustered oak and laurel leaves with a simplified, more modern design that included photographs. Also, during the period 1981 to 2012 Mr. Paine was Art Director for the U.S. Postal Service. In that role Paine was responsible for the design of over 400 stamps including the 29-cent Elvis Presley stamp, with over 500 million sold. <br></br> Sources: </br> http://www.howardepaine.com/ngs.php<br></br> https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/05/19/with-intellect-and-artistry-wellman-chamberlin-created-a-world-of-his-own/627dbea8-370a-4b16-83cd-46e6388a9dfb/ <br></br> Note: The first image of the four displayed, is from the 1963 NGS Atlas and is for comparison only. Not included.
5334J.F.K. Space Center glossy B&W publicity photograph of a NASA map.DetailsNational Aeronautics and Space Administration1966
NASA glossy publicity photo of J . F. K. Space Center map
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
1966
LOC:11
$100.00National-Aeronautics-and-Space-AdministrationNASA-glossy-publicity-photo-of-J---F--K---Space-Center-mapAn original NASA unclassified glossy black and white publicity photograph of a NASA birdseye view map of the John F. Kennedy Space Center and the surrounding area in eastern and central Florida. Dated on verso to 8/8/66. <br></br> The photograph shows a map, apparently tacked to a bulletin board, ranging in coverage as far as Orlando, Oak Hills, and Eau Galle, Florida. Key points of interest shown include: McCoy Air Force Base, Patrick Air Force Base, Cocoa Beach, the St. Johns River, Indian River, Banana River, and Mosquito Inlet. At the lower left corner is a key or context map showing the location of the map relative to the entire state of Florida. <br></br> When the photo was published in August, 1966 NASA was winding down the last two of 19 Gemini program missions to place a capsule with two astronauts into Earth orbit. The final two launches in the Gemini program were: <br></br> <div class="indenttextblocksingle"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li>Pete Conrad and Richard Gordon. Launched September 12, 1966</li> <li>Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin. Launched November 11, 1966</li> </ul> </div>
6393A 1967 protest march map and armband.DetailsAnonymous1967
San Francisco Protest March map, route instructions and monitors armband.
Anonymous
1967
LOC:78
$275.00AnonymousSan-Francisco-Protest-March-map--route-instructions-and-monitors-armband-April 15, 1967 San Francisco, California protest march map, monitor instructions, and a crude cloth armband for a march monitor. Rare. <br><br> On April 15, 1967 amidst growing opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam, large-scale anti-war protests were held in New York, San Francisco, and many other cities. <br><br> Numerous "monitor's notes" including: <br><br> "So far we have had good relations with the police and we would like to keep it that way". "Above all -keep cool; <b>the armband as a symbol of authority will handle most situations by itself</b>".
6382Large QSL card map of Sable Island, Nova Scotia.DetailsVX9A1975
Scarce map of Sable Island, Nova Scotia in the form of a QSL card.
VX9A
1975
LOC:78
$150.00VX9AScarce-map-of-Sable-Island--Nova-Scotia-in-the-form-of-a-QSL-card-Scarce pictorial map of Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada as a QSL card. A QSL card is a written confirmation of two-way radiocommunication between two amateur radio stations, in this case between VX9A on Sable Island and W4UW on the 40 mhz (shortwave band) on November 2, 1975. <br></br> On card stock with one vertical and two horizontal folds, as issued. Verso with text and halftone images.