DESCRIPTION: A group of three artifacts that capture the spirit of California’s “Valley of Heart’s Delight” as seen through the eyes of Ralph Rambo (1894–1990)—the artist, humorist, and historian who chronicled old Santa Clara before it became Silicon Valley. Included is an autograph letter signed “Ralph Rambo” on his personal printed letterhead, dated circa 1971, in which the 76-year-old Rambo discusses his experience designing and selling maps as a “retirement pastime.” Written in his distinctive hand, the letter reflects his entrepreneurial wit and warm tone as he advises a fellow enthusiast on the economics of map publishing: “You are getting the very last of these maps... a handsome profit in map selling IF you have something GOOD with a wide appeal.”
Accompanying the letter are a salesman's' sample of Rambo’s pictorial map, -- Cartoon Pen and Inklings of the Old Santa Clara Valley — and Rambo's original price list for his illustrated works, all housed together in their original mailing envelope bearing Rambo’s Santa Clara return address. Together these three pieces form an evocative snapshot of a regional artist at work, combining correspondence, cartographic art, and period ephemera. An appealing and uncommon ensemble for collectors of California history, pictorial maps, or mid-century American illustration, they provide a glimpse into Rambo the entrepreneur.
F. Raplph Rambo
Ralph Rambo (1894–1990) was a California illustrator, local historian, and author best remembered for his nostalgic depictions of the Santa Clara Valley—later known as Silicon Valley—during its agricultural “Valley of Heart’s Delight” era. Born Francis Ralph Rambo in San Jose, he spent most of his professional life with the Muirson Label Company, where he designed fruit-crate labels .
After retiring in the 1960s, Rambo turned his lifelong interest in regional history and drawing into a prolific second career, writing and illustrating a series of humorous, affectionate books on pioneer life, early schools, and colorful local characters of the Santa Clara Valley.
Rambo’s works—such as Almost Forgotten, Me and Cy, Lo, the Poor Indian, and Lady of Mystery (Sarah Winchester)—combine storytelling, hand lettering, and cartoon-style drawings that blend fact, folklore, and gentle satire. His illustrated pictorial map Cartoon Pen & Inklings of the Old Santa Clara Valley (1962) became a regional icon, appearing on walls and in museums throughout the South Bay. Though he described mapmaking as a “retirement pastime,” his creations preserve a vivid record of mid-20th-century California’s fascination with its own frontier past.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1971
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States
BODY OF WATER: N/A
CONDITION: Very good.
No issues.
COLORING: Map partially hand colored.
ENGRAVER:
SIZE:
" x
"
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 41
PRICE: $325
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