Geographical Guide to a Man’s Heart [and] Geographical Guide to a Woman’s Heart

Wonderful pair of allegorical maps that define romance and gender roles in the early 1960’s.

This amusing, if stereotypical, pair of maps was designed by artist Jo Lowrey, who based the images on earlier Victorian-era publications by the Kellogg Brothers. Lowry updated the concept to fit the 20th century, and the maps were published in the January 1960 issue of McCall’s Magazine, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Each map vividly captures the contemporary notions of romance for males and females in the 1960’s. The center of a man’s heart is dominated by a fortified city and surrounded by lands relating to a variety of romantic concepts, not just love. These include the Country of Free Wheeling, the State of Solid Comfort, and the Impenetrable Wall of Ego. Small cartoons and annotations reference the interplay between these ‘geographic’ locations, including possible avenues for entry around the outer border.

The guide to a woman’s heart is constructed similarly, but with an obvious, and somewhat critical, nod towards the more traditional role of females in romantic exchanges. Large areas are devoted to the Party Girl Province, Kingdom of Conceit, and the Country of Conversation, the last of which features a Gossip Swamp, and the Sound of Her Own Voice. Even maternal appreciation is presented tongue in cheek, as Mother Country is dominated by the Peak of Fashion and Little Forest of Lipsticks. An interesting reflection on gender stereotypes among men and women from 1960.