[Spencer Movie Maps Pictorial Map of Texas]

A rare hand-drawn pictorial map of Texas created by a prominent 20th-century cartoonist.

This manuscript map of Texas was drawn, probably in the early 1940s, by noted illustrator and decorated WWII parachutist, Dick Spencer. It shows a stylized view of the Lone Star State in the archetypal pictorial style from the middle third of the 20th century – distorted geography, amusing vignettes (note the ‘No Skating’ sign in the Gulf of Mexico), and a celebratory, cartoonish attitude. Unfortunately, the stereotypes of the era also come through, as reflected in the ‘Busy Mexicans.’

The map appears to have been created as some sort of proof work for a guidebook or travel brochure. A section of U.S. 80 between Dallas and Fort Worth is solid, with a note indicating ‘A Detail View of the Section of Highway Appearing in Black, Featuring Points of Interest as Well as the Stopping Places of the Better Class, Appears Herein.’ Signs point to New York and Los Angeles, reflecting the transcontinental nature of what was formerly the Dixie Overland Highway. The upper left offers an inviting welcome to the audience, while an inset in the lower corner shows the route between Texarkana and El Paso via U.S. 80 and U.S. 67.

The last is particularly useful, as it travels through Mineral Springs. This was designated an alternate route in the early 1930s, as it allowed motorists access to the town’s mineral waters. The highway was redesignated as U.S. 180 in 1943, giving a probable date of c. 1942 or before.

This would have been immediately before the creator and Dallas native, Dick Winter, graduated from the University of Iowa. He joined the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, with which he earned the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. After the war, he worked in the promotion department at Look magazine and taught Editorial Cartooning at his alma mater. He spent most of his career as editor of Western Horseman and helped found the Cowboy Artists of America. The relationship with Spencer Movie Maps is unknown – perhaps a class project?