[Promotional Map of Death Valley]

An unusual tourist map encompassing the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States.

This charming, but somewhat mysterious, map of Death Valley was designed by J.C. Snow (signed, lower right) and published sometime during the mid-20th century (after 1937, due to the presence of Panamint Springs). Two blank cartouches on the left side of the sheet indicate a possibly unfinished effort intended for broader distribution. The Stovepipe Wells Hotel, established in 1925, is named with a unique typeface – perhaps indicating the original sponsor.

Scattered settlements, geographic features, and locations of interest are labeled throughout the image. Examples include the Devil’s Golf Course, Gnomes Workshop, and the mining town of Rhyolite. Pictorial topography reflects the area’s rugged terrain and emphasizes Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Bad Water, the lowest point, is located and named just about 80 miles east.

Around the time of publication, Death Valley was developing from an economy based around mining to one on tourism. Hotels and resorts, paved toll roads, and water management infrastructure were gradually installed with the support of the Civilian Conservation Corps, transforming the landscape. Death Valley was proclaimed a National Monument in 1933.