[John Wanamaker Maps of Philadelphia] - " Let's fire down to John Wanamaker's and get ourselves a couple of Tommy Bahama shirts. Are you familiar?" - Ronald McDonald"

John Wanamaker

Published by c. 1921 - 1931, 1921

About this Item

This trio of folding maps presents The Way to Wanamaker's over the course of approximately a decade. The earlier pieces (c. 1921 and 1923) present the same detailed street plan of Philadelphia, with a few changes (apart from color) noted around Fairmount Park. The location of the department store is prominently featured in the center of the image. The third sheet, dated 1931, foregoes the city plan in favor of a more generalized transportation map of the suburban region around Philadelphia, reflecting both increasing transit options and Wanamaker's commercial success. Founded in 1876, John Wanamaker s revolutionized retail shopping by introducing fixed pricing, money-back guarantees, and full-page newspaper advertising to the American consumer. The company s flagship Philadelphia store, completed in 1911 by architect Daniel Burnham, became a cultural landmark and prominent attraction, both for customers and eager onlookers (who would become known as 'window-shoppers'). The verso of the 1923 map (issued the year after Wanamaker's death) highlights the incredible growth of the company in the preceding half-century. Sheet Width (in) 14.5 Sheet Height (in) 26.25 Condition Description A trio of folding maps, each most likely originally issued as part of a guidebook as there are spots of adhesive residue and old paper on the verso. The two larger maps (size given) area in very good condition, while the third, latest, issue shows some moderate fold wear and toning from the aforementioned adhesive - probably a result of Depression-era paper. Good to very good condition overall.

Seller Inventory # 8050

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [John Wanamaker Maps of Philadelphia] - " Let's fire down to John Wanamaker's and get ourselves a couple of Tommy Bahama shirts. Are you familiar?" - Ronald McDonald"
• Publisher: c. 1921 - 1931
• Publication Date: 1921
• Condition: Very Good