Design for Blockade - Funneling Japan's few remaining lifelines.

Robert M. Chapin, Jr.

Publication Date: 1945

About this Item

"This visually engaging map of the Pacific Theater highlights the continually shrinking area of operations for the Japanese Empire in the summer of 1945. While significant territory on the Asian mainland remained under occupation, the vital resources therein had to be transported long distances by rail and sea. Furthermore, there was a vulnerable chokepoint in the network at the Tsushima Strait, the neck of the funnel shown within the image. The 'Design for Blockade' included surface ships, submarines, and airplanes attacking this critical waterway. Previously destroyed cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka are callously described as "targets checked off by the Twenty-First Bomber Command." Also of interest is the depiction of the seasonal typhoons in the lower left, shown assisting planes approaching from Okinawa. The map was designed by Robert M. Chapin, Jr. and published as a supplement for the July 2, 1945 issue of TIME Magazine. Chapin was a professionally trained architect who found jobs to be in low demand during the Great Depression. He took a job in the photo department at Newsweek in 1933, where he apparently picked up a knack for cartographic design. By 1937, he was hired by Time (a rival of Newsweek) as the head of the cartography department, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1970. During his long tenure at Time, Chapin's prolific output helped establish a pattern for 20th-century newsroom cartography. The use of bold colors, uncluttered design, and legible typography was immensely popular, and the maps were reprinted for distribution in classrooms and public spaces throughout the country. Despite their widespread appeal, the maps are uncommon on the market and often overlooked in institutional collections. This version is listed in only two examples in WorldCat as of May 2024 - Franklin & Marshall College and the University of Chicago. OCLC# 320453188." Sheet Width (in) 35 Sheet Height (in) 39 Condition Description "Old cellophane tape reside visible in several places in the margins. An irregular closed tear, about 4" long, in the upper center has been repaired on the verso with archival tape. Soiling in the lower center margin, a chipped upper right corner, and light wear along originally issued fold lines. About good condition overall. Blank on verso.". Seller Inventory # W000892

Bibliographic Details

Title: Design for Blockade - Funneling Japan's few ...

Publication Date: 1945

Binding: Soft cover

Condition: Very Good