Mother Lode Map incorporating mother lodes of California and Nevada, scenes of the “Romantic Days of Old”

Rare first edition Gold (and Silver) Rush map from the Golden Era of pictorial mapping.

This spectacular pictorial map of the Sierra Nevada was illustrated by artist Robert Cormack and published in Berkeley in 1931 by the California Art and Engraving Company. The skillfully designed image (Cormack was an art director for Fantasia) includes portions of California and Nevada and is bordered approximately by the Giant Sequoias of Mariposa (south), Sacramento (west), Chico (north), and Reno (east). This large region incorporates both the Comstock Lode and the California Mother Lode – two veins of precious minerals (silver and gold, respectively) that indelibly changed the course of history for both states.

Those ‘days of old’ are the central theme of the map. Vignettes showcase numerous locations of interest and landmarks, described further in a text box in the center-right. Amusing cartoon figures are engaged in a variety of activities, mostly mining-related. The Mother Lode Highway, connecting Sonora to Auburn, is highlighted in red. The modern thoroughfare, later to become California State Highway 49, contrasts sharply with covered wagons and the Pony Express.

The map is uncommon, especially in its first edition (as seen here), which was later reproduced by Mother Lode Enterprises. WorldCat notes six examples as of September 2024, with copies of both editions also available in the David Rumsey Map Collection.

Sources: Rumsey 8019.000 & 8226.000; OCLC# 21843335.