St. Louis Public Library: Pictorial Maps

Press release from the St. Louis Public Library:

August 18, 2021

Maps, by their very nature, have always been abstractions. It is difficult for our minds to conceive of vast distances between locations or to envision what a section of land looks like from high above. With maps, we are given a visual representation of space and distance that is easy for our mind to parse. Most modern maps, such as those given by a phone, provide information in a visually simple and utilitarian manner. For that is what the user wants, the quickest and easiest route to take on a trip. Any additional decoration or ornamentation could lead to the user getting confused or, even, lost. The appearance and content of a map is based on what is considered to be important to the creator and user. 

The first map we would like to show is the Bootlegger’s Map of the United States.

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/59/rec/10

Next, we turn our attention to this Map of Cape Cod created by Melanie Elisabeth Leonard, also from 1926. The 1920’s and 30’s really were the heyday of pictorial maps.

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/50/rec/26

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/47/rec/27

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/62/rec/1

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/82/rec/1

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/88/rec/1

In addition to having a birds-eye view of the city and a striking yellow and orange design, this map has a rarely seen, south-facing perspective. Another odd thing about this local map is what it is missing. There is no Arch to be seen on the riverfront. The map was created by Owen Klooster for the Adult Education Council of Greater St. Louis in 1946. The Arch would not be completed until 1963. Close examination of the map shows a number of things that no longer exist, such as the Old Rock House, the Admiral, the Arena and a number of Library branches. All in all, this map offers a unique image of a city that was about to change considerably.

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10/id/92/rec/1

By now, it should be apparent that maps come in a vast array of styles and formats. While the popularity of pictorial maps eventually began to wane after WWII, their influence in modern design persists to this day, in things as diverse as graphic novels and shopping mall floor plans, to name but a few. Who is to say what the future of pictorial maps may be? In time, we may grow tired of the wayfinding apps that plot and track our every step. Could a new golden age of pictorial maps be in our future? If only we were so lucky. 

https://cdm17210.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17210coll10

For further reading, we highly recommend Stephen J. Hornsby’s 2017 title, Picturing America the Golden Age of Pictorial Maps. https://slpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S116C1457663

rarebooks@slpl.org

This press release was produced by the St. Louis Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.