Automobile Road from Santa Monica to San Pedro and Long Beach

1920s strip map showing the coastal roads between Santa Monica and Long Beach.

The Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) was established in Los Angeles in 1900 as one of the nation’s first public organizations dedicated to improving conditions for the growing number of motorists. It predated the organization of the American Automobile Association (AAA) by two years and, as early as 1906, began sending teams of cartographers to chart the road network across California (and erect road signs).

The subsequent maps and guides were instrumental in promoting motor tourism during the early 20th century and provide a fascinating contemporary snapshot of towns and transportation networks.

One popular format introduced in the early 1920s was strip maps printed on cardstock and oriented vertically, possibly to allow for a better view while driving. Major towns, geographic features, and motorist camps are labeled throughout the image. Occasionally, a list of garages is printed on the verso.

This example, oriented with east at the top, shows the roads along the Pacific Coast between Santa Monica and Long Beach. The famous La Brea Tar Pits are identified, along with oil fields and other locations of interest.

The map was designed by ACSC cartographer Forrest M. Burke and published in Los Angeles around 1926.

Source: Homestead Museum; American Roads;