Excelsior Series Map of United States and Alaska

A fascinating expression of America’s culture from the end of the 1920’s, shortly before the country was rocked by the Great Depression.

This interesting pair of sheets was published in the late 1920’s by the Geographical Publishing Company of Chicago as promotional material for the Southern Agriculturalist. Originally issued together on a thin metal bar, each page is now separate and lithographed on both sides.

The first image shows a map of the United States and the territory of Alaska, highlighting the fledgling highway system rapidly developing across the country. Accompanying the map is a list of 60 National Trunk Highways which are numbered within the image. An index at the bottom shows the latest population from the largest cities in the world, with London comfortably in first.

The verso of the map shows dozens of photographs of “Celebrities in the World of Sport,” dominated by a portrait of Gene Tunney – Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Other notable athletes include Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, Walter Hagen, Ty Cobb, Knute Rockne, and others.

The second double sided sheet shows a similar collection of portraits, though these are in full color and capture the ‘Ladies of the White House’ as well as fifty-four views of Washington D.C. The verso of the second sheet includes additional photographs depicting Wonders and Oddities of the World. Examples include the Japanese Earthquake of 1923, gold in the Klondike region, international churches, and dinosaur fossils. A small inset map of the world and poles shows the latest in the progress of aviation, with text on the adventures of Lindbergh, Byrd, and others.

A fascinating worldview aimed at members of the southern elite shortly before the country was crippled by the Great Depression.