A Graphically Striking Illustrated Map of New York City During the Great Depression

Harrison, Richard Edes

Published by Fortune, New York, 1939

About this Item

Folio. A vibrantly colorful 1939 street map of New York City by influential 20th-century cartographer Richard Edes Harrison. Harrison (1902-1994), a Baltimore native, redefined 20th-century cartography, adding flairs of artistic perspective, color and shading to produce maps which were not only beautiful, but much more accessible to the average person. He teamed up with Fortune Magazine in the 1930s and together they produced some of the most striking illustration of the Great Depression and WW II eras. This particular piece depicts a New York City during the glory days of its Depression-era Art Deco construction, with a color-coded key at the top identifying not only the geography of the Big Apple, but how the land was being used at the time. Colors are broken into eight different categories: Residential, Airports, Industrial, Business, Parks and Parkways, Cemeteries, Institutional, and Government properties. Along the left side, underneath the title is a detailed street map of Manhattan and in the lower left a breakdown of the city's population by day and by night. A compass rose at the bottom shows a high-level view of the city's boundaries. Original fold lines with a tiny pinhole at their intersection. This beautiful piece measures approximately 27" X 22" and is perfect for framing and display!

Seller Inventory # 18039

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Graphically Striking Illustrated Map of New York City During the Great Depression
• Publisher: Fortune, New York
• Publication Date: 1939
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art
  • Americana
  • Historic Prints
  • Historic Maps
  • History