A Pic-Tour Map of Southern California

“Where to go…What to do…How to see Southern California.” – Front cover.

This lovely illustrated view of Southern California was drawn by the talented artist Don Bloodgood and published in San Francisco by H.S. Crocker & Co. in 1956 (second edition). A region known today for standstill traffic and high population density was significantly more agrarian over a half-century ago, with Orange County earning its name from huge groves of citrus trees.

Towns and cities are labeled in red, dominated by the metropolis of Los Angeles; while various locations of interest and historic sites are named in green. Charming vignettes show figures engaged in a variety of amusing activities, from wrestling with fish off the coast to highjacking a stagecoach near a movie set. ‘Notes for Today’s Explorer of Southern California’ in the lower left offers additional background and traveler information. On the verso, the map continues south to incorporate San Diego and the Mexican border.