An Historical Map of Texas Beginning with the Spanish Explorations

Unrecorded pictorial map of Texas.

This beautiful cartographic celebration of Texas history was designed by Peter Wolf and illustrated by Bill Car, with research and art direction by James Frazer. It was published in Dallas in 1982 by Peter Wolf Concepts, the parent company of the well-known stage designer.

The image presents a vibrant overview of major events from the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century until the waning years of the Wild West. County borders, highways, and other modern details are omitted in favor of geographic features, historic routes, and captioned vignettes that give a ‘feel’ for the era. The Battle of the Alamo, naturally, receives several dedicated inset views.

Portraits of influential politicians, soldiers, and Native Americans are shown across the top of the page, while the sides offer further fictionalized scenes from Texas’ past. Cattle brands and an elaborate decorative Rococo border enclose the production.

Peter Wolf (1918 – 2005) attended the prestigious Yale Drama School, where he met his wife of over 60 years. After serving in World War II, he moved to Texas, established Peter Wolf Concepts, and began working with the Dallas Summer Musicals. During his 35 years there, he designed sets and costumes for over 100 productions. His notable output extended to the Broadway stage, where he contributed to over a dozen successful plays and musicals like Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, The Music Man, Peter Pan, and The King and I.

The previously unrecorded map, unlisted in OCLC or other online repositories, was acquired from Peter’s descendants, who are donating his archive and remaining set designs to Southern Methodist University. The majority of the maps were heavily damaged during storage, making the remaining few desirable for collectors of the genre and state.

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