India

An industrial overview of India, under threat by Japan.

This striking map of India highlights the wealth of natural resources and industrial capacity across the nation – both vitally strategic considerations during World War II. Textiles, minerals, timber, manufacturing, and military facilities are noted throughout the image, drawn on an approximate scale of 1.5″ to 100 miles. An inset map in the lower left shows the prominent religious divisions between Muslim and Hindu inhabitants. To the east, two Japanese flags reflect the impending threat of invasion. The recent fall of Rangoon (March 9) and the capture of Port Blair on the Andaman Islands (March 23) left India exceptionally vulnerable to attack.

The map was designed by Robert M. Chapin, Jr. and published as a supplement for the April 6, 1942 issue of TIME Magazine. Chapin was a professionally trained architect who found jobs to be in low demand during the Great Depression. He took a job in the photo department at Newsweek in 1933, where he apparently picked up a knack for cartographic design. By 1937, he was hired by Time (a rival of Newsweek) as the head of the cartography department, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1970.

During his long tenure at Time, Chapin’s prolific output helped establish a pattern for 20th century newsroom cartography. The use of bold colors, uncluttered design, and legible typography was immensely popular, and the maps were reprinted for distribution in classrooms and public spaces throughout the country. Despite their widespread appeal, the maps are uncommon on the market and often overlooked in institutional collections. This version is listed in only two examples in WorldCat as of May 2024 – Franklin & Marshall College and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. OCLC# 947055184.