[Untitled] The Hudson Dispatch World Map

Detailed broadsheet political map published for The Hudson Dispatch in the interwar period.

This stimulating map attempts to distill nearly the entire Euro-centric world polity into a single view. Flanked by a “who’s who” of political and military leaders, including pre-Soviet Lenin, Sun Yat Sen and Victor Emanuel, the somber, uniformed looks and bold symbolism reflect the serious attitude taken towards international politics and world organization after the end of the First World War. Winners of the conflict, like the United States, France and Great Britain are proudly displayed on top, while losers from Germany, Bulgaria, Austria and Turkey are relegated to the bottom of the page. Africa and South America are only marginally represented, as most of their landmass was under the colonial occupation of a European power at the time.

A review of the political leaders is an interesting exercise – Wilhelmina would lead the Dutch through both World Wars, Gustav V oversaw Sweden’s transition to a democratic country, and Leon Trotsky would be brutally assassinated by the KGB. The map itself is also very informative, listing navigation distances between ports, exploration routes, time zones and the length of days relative to latitude. On the verso is a map of Central Europe reflecting the borders after the Treaty of Versailles. Further modifications to the borders across Europe would again be necessary in a few short decades.