[America]

Pictorial map of the United States intended for overseas distribution.

This map represents a concerted effort to portray America to an audience of eager international travelers. Issued by an organization promoting rail travel throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada, it shows “the best” of the region served by sponsoring parties. Illustrations of industrial achievement, natural beauty and historical heritage reflect an idealized version of the American identity: an entire experience that can be neatly packaged into one convenient cross country trip for the intrepid European traveler.

A distance table in the lower left shows the geographic immensity of the United States in miles and kilometers, while also highlighting the connectedness of the rail system. Dense text on the verso provides highlights on each region served, plus a diagram of the legendary Pullman sleeping cars.

This particular example was issued by a Dutch travel agent, F.H. Lauenborg Christensen, whose stamp can be seen in the upper and lower portions of the map, along with those of popular Dutch travel lines.