| | Thumbnail | | Creator | Date | Title / Author / Date / Location | Price | | | Description |
| 7927 |  | Details | Rambo, Ralph | 1971 |
| Santa Clara Valley sample map letter price list of Ralph Rambo |
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Rambo, Ralph |
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| 1971 |
| LOC:41 |
| $325.00 | Rambo--Ralph | Santa-Clara-Valley-sample-map-letter-price-list-of-Ralph-Rambo | 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.”
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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. |