American Red Cross Map of Paris

Recycled wartime map of Paris published by the American Red Cross.

This charming map of Paris appears at first glance like many other tourist maps of the city. Profile views of prominent buildings, green parks in a sea of pink and the blue Seine bisecting the scene are familiar sights on maps of the la Ville Lumière. However, what sets this apart are the bold outlines of the Red Cross clubs in operation during the Second World War, designed to give military servicemembers on leave a place for amusement, relaxation and creature comforts, as well as room & board for organization volunteers stationed in the country.

Nineteen separate clubs are listed, some for women, others for officers, and still others only for men with day passes. On the verso is a small map of the Paris Metro and a language guide for asking directions around the city. The scarcity of resources during the war is evident when you unfold the map further – on the back can be seen the original source of the paper, a partial sheet of a much larger, confidential, map of Ireland.