Standard School Broadcast Pictorial Map of Pan-America

Pictorial celebration of Pan-American multiculturalism, courtesy of Big Oil.

This colorful Cold-War era map was designed by the Chevron Research Company and published in 1966 ‘as a public service by Standard Oil Company of California.’ It was ‘prepared especially for use in connection with the School Broadcast series titled, “We Are Americans”‘ and features numbered illustrations of musical instruments heard on the radio program.

Within the image, the emphasis is on regional dancing styles across the hemisphere. Bright vignettes capture square dancing in the American Southwest to the tango in Argentina. Flags are also shown for both independent countries and colonial possessions.

The map was issued during a period of attempted reconciliation across the Americas. The ongoing threat of Communism, especially in Latin America, led President John F. Kennedy to pledge up to $1 billion dollars in annual economic assistance beginning in 1961. Despite the best efforts of the aid program (and the map’s creators), Pan-American unity continued to be hindered by various diplomatic setbacks throughout the 1960’s, especially in Cuba.